2024-01-20 19:07:05
1 of 2 | New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) waits for the resumption of play against the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on October 15, 2017. File photo by AJ Sisco/UPI | License photo
CHICAGO BEARS (3-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-2)
TO START UP: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Mercedes-Benz Superdome. TV: FOX, Justin Kutcher, Chris Spielman, Jennifer Hale (field reporter).
HISTORY OF THE SERIES: 28th regular season meeting. The Saints lead the series, 14-13. The Saints have won four of the last five home games against the Bears, but the only loss in that stretch came in Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Bears last won in New Orleans in 1991. The teams have met twice in the playoffs, with the Bears winning both at Soldier Field, 16-6 in 1990 and 35-14 in the NFC Championship Game following the 2006 season.
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Bears may want to recycle their Week 1 game plan against Matt Ryan, as Saints quarterback Drew Brees is similar in terms of willingness to move around the pocket. They need to immediately create an inside rush, whether it’s from nose tackle Eddie Goldman or one of their inside linebackers blitzing. The Saints have managed five turnovers in the last two games, and strong interior drives from the Lions and Packers have a lot to do with forcing them.
Offensively, working the Saints short linebackers with tight ends, slot receivers and running back Tarik Cohen is a good way to get rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky into the passing game right away, and also take advantage of a perceived weakness. Detroit was able to hurt New Orleans with a few behind-the-back throws, like New England did early in the season.
The Saints have retooled their linebacker corps with mixed results. Cohen’s running and receiving inside would be a good choice of emphasis in the offense and a way to balance the offense to prevent New Orleans from ganging up on running back Jordan Howard.
The Saints should try to force Trubisky to make more plays in the passing game than he has had to do in winning the last two games with just 196 passing yards. The Saints have 17 sacks and the Bears have allowed 17. Putting the rookie in obvious passing situations could lead to turnovers. Chicago turned the ball over 14 times.
MATCHES TO WATCH:
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Saints WR Michael Thomas vs. Bears CB Kyle Fuller. Every week, the opposing biggest receiver tried to go after Fuller, and they all failed, to a large extent. Even Julio Jones had a hard time with him. At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, Thomas has the size advantage and has been the player Brees turns to for extended practices. Fuller continues his contract campaign, but is still looking for a big play like the Bears safeties have done in each of the last two games.
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Bears OL vs. Saints DT. The Bears have the seventh-most productive running game in the NFL and it will be up to the tackles to make it difficult for Howard to find a running spot between the tackles. The Packers had success against the Saints in the first half, but not in the second half.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Saints LB AJ Klein. The Saints’ leading tackler usually stays on the field even when the defense uses a fifth defensive back. He will be the key to slowing down the Bears’ running game, both as a tackle and as the player most responsible for keeping the defense aligned well. Klein will also be a factor against the passing game, especially because Chicago plans to use short passes to Trubisky.
FAST FACTS: Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had a career-high 101.8 rating last week. He’s aiming for his third straight game with a 90-plus rating. … Bears rookie RB Tarik Cohen had a career-long 70-yard catch in Week 7 and is one of the two rookies (Kareem Hunt) with a 70-yard catch in 2017. He ranks fourth among NFL rookies with 27 catches. … Bears rookie S Eddie Jackson had a 76-yard interception for a touchdown and a 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown last week, making him the first player in NFL history with two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in one game. … Saints quarterback Drew Brees has 933 passing yards (311 per game), eight touchdowns and no INTs in his last three meetings with the Bears. He has 500 career TD passes (including playoffs), fourth most in NFL history. … Saints WR Michael Thomas has 80 receiving yards in four of the last five games. …Saints DE Alex Okafor looks for his third straight game with a sack and forced fumble. He is tied for the NFL lead with three forced fumbles.
PREDICTION: The Saints have run a balanced attack with four straight wins and the lead in the NFC South. The Bears can’t keep up. Look for the saints to keep you walking.
OUR CHOICE : Saints, 27-16.
—Ellen Port
2017-10-26 10:00:00
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