New Orleans (1-5) at Chicago (3-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Bears by 5.
Against the spread: Saints 2-4, Bears 3-2.
Series record: Saints lead 19-15.
Last week: Saints lost to Patriots 25-19; Bears beat Commanders 25-24.
Last meeting: Saints beat Bears 24-17 at New Orleans on Nov. 5, 2023.
Saints offense: overall (24), rush (19), pass (22), scoring (28).
Saints defense: overall (18), rush (17t), pass (16), scoring (25).
Bears offense: overall (14), rush (18), pass (11), scoring (10).
Bears defense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (15), scoring (27).
Turnover differential: Saints plus-4; Bears plus-8.
Saints player to watch
Saints dynamic, change-of-pace QB Taysom Hill scored his first touchdown of the season on a short run last weekend and is bound to become increasingly involved in New Orleans’ offense after missing the season’s first four games while completing his rehabilitation from a major knee injury last season. In two games, Hill has completed the only pass he’s thrown for 19 yards and has run the ball several times in short-yardage situations. He also has lined up as a receiver, so it might not be long before he make a catch. And he’s playing on special teams.
Bears player to watch
RB D’Andre Swift. Largely a nonfactor in the first four games, Swift delivered what might be his best performance in two seasons with the Bears on Monday night. He ran for by far a season-high 108 yards on 14 attempts behind a revised offensive line. He also turned a short pass into a 55-yard touchdown.
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Key matchup
Bears LT Theo Benedet vs. Saints DEs Carl Granderson and Cameron Jordan. Benedet made his first career start in a Week 4 win at Las Vegas as the right tackle, then got moved to the left side when Braxton Jones was lifted from that game. After struggling against Maxx Crosby, Benedet fared better against Washington in his first start at left tackle, though the Commanders’ Dorance Armstrong hurt his hamstring. Granderson has 4 1/2 sacks, and Jordan is an eight-time Pro Bowler.
Key injuries
Saints: RB Alvin Kamara was rested because of ankle soreness but coach Kellen Moore said he expected Kamara to be able to play. … CB Isaac Yiadom (hamstring) missed last week’s game and did not return to practice to start this week. … WR Chris Olave (hip) and CB Alontae Taylor (knee) both were limited in practice.
Bears: WR DJ Moore (groin) spent a night in a Washington-area hospital after last week’s game. … Kicker Cairo Santos (quad) did not play at Washington. … LB Noah Sewell (concussion) left last week’s game.
Series notes
New Orleans forced five turnovers and had three interceptions against backup QB Tyson Bagent two years ago in beating Chicago for the eighth straight time, counting the playoffs. The Bears haven’t beaten the Saints since late in the 2008 season.
Stats and stuff
New Orleans’ 1-5 start is its worst since opening 1-7 in 1999 under then-coach Mike Ditka, a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Bears. … Saints QB Spencer Rattler passed for 227 yards without a turnover last week. He is one of three QBs (Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield) with 150 or more passing attempts and only 1 or fewer interceptions this season. … Kamara had five catches and 76 scrimmage yards in Week 6. Has 595 catches and can become fifth RB with 600. … WR Chris Olave had six catches for 98 yards last week. He is one of three WRs, along with Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown, to have five games with at least six catches in 2025. … The Bears have won three straight since opening with losses to Minnesota and at Detroit, beating Dallas by 17 and both Las Vegas and Washington by 25-24. Jake Moody — filling in for Santos — kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired last week after having a 48-yarder blocked earlier in the game. … Chicago looks to make it four in a row for the first time since the 2018 NFC North championship team closed the regular season with four straight wins. Chicago also had a five-game run that season. … Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen led New Orleans to an 18-25 record without a playoff appearance over 2 1/2 seasons after taking over for Sean Payton in 2022. He was fired after Week 9 last season, with the Saints 2-7 after losing seven in a row. He spent six seasons as their defensive coordinator before getting promoted when Payton left in what turned out to be a one-year retirement from coaching. … Chicago is tied with Jacksonville for the NFL lead with a plus-8 turnover differential and ranks second with 12 takeaways, including 11 in the past three games. The Jaguars have forced a league-leading 14 turnovers. … QB Caleb Williams had his fourth career fourth-quarter comeback last week. The No. 1 pick in last year’s draft has also cut back on the sacks so far, with 10 this season after leading the league with a franchise-record 68 as a rookie.
Fantasy tip
Rome Odunze has emerged as the Bears’ No. 1 receiver in his second season, and with DJ Moore hurt, he could have a few more passes thrown his way. Odunze leads the team in receptions (22) and yards (328), and his five touchdown catches are one shy of the league lead.
READ MORE:With 3 straight wins, Bears looks to keep rolling against struggling Saints
