The joy in statistics is that one can draw quick conclusions, but they aren’t always the right ones.

Proper analysis yields proper results and cherry-picking one statistical nugget while avoiding another can lead to false conclusions.

When New Orleans Saints fans wonder why the repeat season will start in the wildcard round Saturday on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, they see Drew Brees’ less-than-stellar demerit of 22 interceptions. While criticism of Brees is muted, it really isn’t completely his fault. Like Peyton Manning, when a top-tier quarterback doesn’t have a strong running game his numbers are likely to take a precarious dip.

Last year, the Saints were ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing yards with 2,106 and third in rushing TDs with 21.

This season has been a different story thanks to flux in the backfield. The struggles highlight the most overlooked factor in last year’s Super Bowl run, a solid running game that could grind down the clock and set up Brees’ brilliant play-action passing game. Without being able to mash the ball for four or five yards a clip, those nicely executed fakes lose much of their value. Defenses don’t have to honor them and they’ve blitzed Brees at a frightening pace.

The offensive line, after being considered one of the league’s best units last season, hasn’t protected Brees as well as they did during the Super Bowl run. The line still ranks in the top echelon of the league, but Brees has been sacked 26 times, six more than last season.

And the Saints haven’t exactly run with authority this season. The Saints have rushed for only 1,519 yards, near the bottom of the league, and scored only nine TDs on the ground.

The biggest reason for those struggles is an inability to keep their running backs healthy. Power back Pierre Thomas missed much of the season with a slow-to-heal high ankle sprain and was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. Reggie Bush, who has been a fixture on the Saints’ injury list since he arrived in 2006, broke his leg against the San Francisco 49ers and has been little more than a semi-productive decoy. Chris Ivory gave the Saints the power runner they’ve missed since Thomas was injured, but he won’t be available for the playoffs. The undrafted free agent out of Tiffin (Ohio) was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday after leading the Saints in rushing yards (716) this season.

With Bush becoming a bigger albatross on next year’s payroll and Thomas’ expiring contract, the Saints could be facing sweeping changes in the backfield next season.

Bush is definitely a bust considering he was the second pick in the 2006 NFL draft. While he never had the required physicality and durability to be a featured back, his draft position forced the Saints to pay him like one. His salary will balloon to $13.5 million and that’s a lot of dough for a guy who just can’t produce and can’t stay healthy. Look for the Saints to cut ties or renegotiate a more budget-friendly deal that would enable them to acquire a real power back in the free agent marketplace. Thomas will be a free agent at season’s end and if both depart, the Saints’ backfield will be a different one in 2011.

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Steve Wilson is sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. You can follow him on Twitter at vpsportseditor. He can be reached at 601-636-4545, ext. 142 or at swilson@vicksburgpost.com.