New Orleans outlast Chicago’s bearable fourth quarter run

The Saints escaped Soldier Field with a 3-point victory this past Sunday afternoon. Both teams had a similar record entering the game with the Saints coming in at 4-2 and the Bears at 5-3. Both teams are represented by the National Football Conference and are split into their respective divisions. 

The Saints are in the NFC South and the Bears in the NFC North. The first half was dominated by Chicago as they jumped to a 3-point lead at halftime due to an early missed field goal by Will Lutz. However, the Saints did jump to an early lead in the opening possession of the game. The second half favored New Orleans as their defense caused havoc for Chicago’s offense especially their quarterback Nick Foles.

The third quarter was disastrous for Bears fans to watch as they punted, committed a turnover from an interception, punted again, and then had downs. The momentum instantly shifted to New Orleans as they scored on back to back opportunities with field goals to regain the lead. Things also escalated quickly as the Bears wide receiver Javon Wims was removed from the game as he threw punches towards the safety of New Orleans C.J. Gardner-Johnson. 

The Saints defense managed to get five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. Overall, New Orleans had more first downs, total plays, total yards, total drives and yards per play, more passing and rushing yards than the Bears which prevailed them to be victorious in overtime. Each team was forced to punt the ball on their first possession in the extended period with the Saints capitalizing on their second one to end the game.

History was also made for the Saints as the veteran quarterback Drew Brees passed Tom Brady for the most career touchdowns with 560. The Saints play the Buccaneers next Sunday night on November 8th for the second time this season. New Orleans won the first matchup with an 11-point lead. The winner of this game determines who takes control of the division as both teams currently possess a 5-2 record.