Bears vs. Saints Prediction: Playoff hopes building in Chicago |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
Don't look now, but the Chicago Bears are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NFL. After starting the season 0-2 with two rather ugly-looking losses, the Bears have flipped the switch and have now won three games in a row for the first time since 2019 to get to 3-2.
The past two wins have come by the same score of 25-24, with the Bears blocking a field goal in Vegas to secure that win and Jake Moody knocking home a walk-off field goal on Monday night. Next up for the Bears is to continue building on their current three-game win streak as they have an opportunity to bank some wins over the next month. Looking at the next five games for Chicago, you could make a case that the Bears should win three, if not four, of their next five. Should that happen, it's time to start thinking about the playoffs for this team, as they will be right in the middle of both the Wild Card and Division standings coming into the stretch run of the season. For the Bears to be in that position, they need to take care of their business and win the games they should win, and that all starts with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. This is a 1-5 football team that has struggled to win games under first-year head coach Kellen Moore, as they anticipated it would be a challenge in year one. Record aside, the Saints are playing much better football than earlier in the season, and they can't be taken lightly, or this could hinge on the point of being a trap game. That is something the Bears can't afford to let happen, as they have done that far too much over the past few seasons. Here are some things to look for in the Bears-Saints matchup:
It hasn't been perfect this season, but there has been significant growth with the Bears offense under Johnson. Yes, there will be some mistakes and inconsistencies across the board, but that is all part of the learning process. Even with that, Chicago has achieved something that no other team has been able to do: they are the only team in the NFL that has scored 21 or more points in every game this season. Offensive consistency has been an issue for the Bears for several years, which is something that Johnson wanted to change when he took over. He has held this team accountable since day one, and the accountability and high standards he has maintained for this group are finally paying off. Sure, nothing is perfect, and the Bears have been far from perfect, but when you can see growth even in your worst times, that goes to show how much of an improved team this is.
Through five weeks, the Bears' rushing attack was non-existent as they ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards. That is something that has been discussed frequently, and it reached the point where there were trade rumors about whether the Bears would look to add a running back at the deadline. Then came the game on Monday night, where D'Andre Swift not only showed up, but put together the best game of his Chicago Bears career. His 175 total yards were the most scrimmage yards he has racked up since coming to Chicago, and it was also the second most scrimmage yards all time against the Commanders, only behind Walter Payton and his 177. That game alone showed what Swift has always been capable of doing, but for whatever reason, those games have been few and far between. Now that he stepped up on primetime to show what he can do, look for the Bears to try and feed him more touches each week, as he can be the key to unlock the full potential of this offense.
On paper, this game is one the Bears should dominate in, as they are the better team. However, this is the NFL, and there is no such thing as an easy game. Record aside, the Saints have played much better football over the past few weeks, and that alone puts them in a position to steal this game, as this is a potential trap game for the Bears. No one is going to say the Bears are overlooking the Saints, as that would be irresponsible for them to do. What could end up happening is having the Saints keep things closer than many expect, leading to Chicago playing much tighter than they want to play. When that happens, you start to see costly mistakes, and when the Bears make mistakes, it tends to end badly for them.
It's been a long time since the Bears not only won three games in a row, but also managed to have a winning record this late in the season. It has been even longer since the Bears were multiple games above .500, which they have a shot to do this week at home. There are several winnable games for the Bears in the coming weeks, and this is one of them, as they will be heavy favorites on Sunday. They have the better quarterback, the better coach, and, from all accounts, the better overall roster, as Chicago has the playoffs on their mind. Compare that to the Saints, who know they are in rebuild mode, and you have a team in Chicago expecting to win, whereas the Saints are playing with nothing to lose at this point. When that happens, you see upsets, and the Saints are more than capable of pulling an upset in this one. Look for New Orleans to keep things close from start to finish, but Chicago does what they need to do to pick up a 28-20 win.Can the Bears keep their streak alive?
More running game with Swift
Don't overlook the Saints
Prediction: BEAR DOWN 28-20
