The New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears matchup has the feel of two teams that are good but also incomplete. Both come into the contest missing key players due to injury. This makes it more difficult to determine who has the edge in what could be a matchup that has playoff implications. The Bears are still stinging from their last-minute defeat in London against the Raiders. They're eager to get back on the right track and intend to arrive with a purpose in this one.
New Orleans has won four straight and is eager to maintain that momentum. Especially with their star quarterback drawing closer to a return from his thumb injury last month. The Saints have won their last two games at Soldier Field and beaten the Bears in their last four meetings total. There is no question Chicago faces a tough task in this one, but it's a game they know they have to have.
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears breakdown
Storylines:
Return of Mitch Trubisky - The Bears know they'll get a good performance from the defense on Sunday. What could potentially lose the game for them is if their offense again fails to show up. Through five games, the unit has topped 20 points just twice. It's hard to win that way in this NFL. That's why it's hoped the return of Mitch Trubisky, who was just starting to play better before his shoulder injury might give them a bit of a jolt.
Reunion with Teddy B. - Teddy Bridgewater has done an excellent job as a backup for New Orleans, winning four-straight games. The Bears remember him well from his days as the starter for the Minnesota Vikings. In both of his trips to Soldier Field, he threw for less than 200 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. He has a better play caller running the show, so it will be interesting to see how he handles it.
Injuries:
Alvin Kamara (ankle) - Already operating without Drew Brees, the Saints offense got even more bad news when it was announced that star running back Alvin Kamara was out for the game in Chicago due to a high ankle sprain. His versatility is a huge reason New Orleans has still been able to function without Brees. Him being out puts a lot of pressure on veteran Latavius Murray to pick up the slack.
Akiem Hicks (elbow) - Chicago is feeling the injury bug too. Their vaunted defense just lost its second-best player in defensive end Akiem Hicks. He suffered a dislocated elbow against the Raiders in London. This takes away their second-best run defender and second-best pass rusher too. That's a hard loss to get over, even for a defense as talented as the Bears. It will be interesting to see how they respond.
Key matchups:
Michael Thomas vs. Kyle Fuller - With Kamara out, there's no question the Saints will try to run their offense through star receiver Michael Thomas. The Bears did a decent job of containing him two years ago when the teams last met (7 catches for 77 yards). It will fall to Kyle Fuller to, if not shut down then at least limit the number of clean opportunities Thomas gets. That's no easy task regardless of who's the quarterback.
Cam Jordan vs. Bobby Massie - The Bears offensive line is facing a tough task coming out of the bye. While the Saints defense is not elite, they do have some elite players. Especially defensive end Cam Jordan who already has five sacks on the season. It will fall to right tackle Bobby Massie to keep him away from Trubisky as much as possible. He's played fairly well to start the year but needs to have his best game for this one.
Prediction: Bears win 14-10
There is just no predicting what the Chicago Bears offense is going to do. They could have a better day than people expect but too many questions remain unanswered. New Orleans has a good defense but they are so depleted on offense right now that it's hard to envision them putting up a lot of points on the Bears defense. Even without Hicks on the field. It will be a low-scoring affair but the Bears end up getting the close win.
