The Bears (3-2) will look to win their fourth straight game for the first time since 2018 when they host the Saints (1-5) Sunday at Soldier Field.
After opening the season with losses to the Vikings (27-24) and Lions (52-21), the Bears have defeated the Cowboys (31-14), Raiders (25-24) and Commanders (25-24).
The Saints lost their first four contests to the Cardinals (20-13), 49ers (26-21), Seahawks (44-13) and Bills (31-19) before beating the Giants (26-14) and losing to the Patriots (25-19).
"They have a lot of veteran players that have played at a high level and are a prideful group," said coach Ben Johnson. "I have a lot of respect for how they play. They're getting better every week. They continue to ascend, so we won't overlook this opponent. This is a good football team that's on the rise."
"Their record does not show what type of team they are," said quarterback Caleb Williams. "That's not something that we're going to underestimate. They're a good team. This is also the National Football League. Going into this with the right mindset is what we will do. Understanding the opportunity, we have to be able to go out there and execute the way we need to be able to come out 4-2."
When the Bears have the ball
Williams returns to Soldier Field after engineering late game-winning scoring drives in back-to-back road victories over the Raiders and Commanders. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft quarterbacks an offense that has helped the Bears become the only NFL team to score at least 21 points in each of its first five games this season.
Williams has excelled at producing big plays while limiting turnovers and sacks. In five starts, he has thrown for 1,179 yards with nine touchdowns, two interceptions and a 98.0 passer rating that ranks 16th in the NFL while being only sacked 10 times.
The Bears hope to run the ball as effectively as they did in Monday night's win over the Commanders, when they produced a season-high 145 yards on the ground, including 108 yards by running back D'Andre Swift.
"The rush attack is extremely important to winning games," Williams said. "Being able to have a balanced attack keeps the defense on their toes. Being able to have a balanced attack helps you march the ball down the field and get open looks. Play actions, keeper, screens, drop back, all of that starts to open up when you can have a positive and effective run game."
The Bears will face a Saints 3-4 defense that ranks 25th in the NFL in points allowed per game (26.7) and 18th in total yards, tied for 17th against the run and 16th versus the pass. The unit is led by edge rushers Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson, lineman Bryan Breesee and inside linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner.
Key matchup: Bears left tackle Theo Benedet and right tackle Darnell Wright vs. Saints edge rushers Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson
Benedet and Wright both played well against the Commanders and will look to build on those performances versus the Saints. Both are athletic tackles capable of pulling on run plays as well as protecting the quarterback on pass plays. Jordan and Granderson frequently flip-flop sides, so both likely will face Benedet and Wright at times.
When the Saints have the ball
The Bears defense has generated 11 takeaways during the team's current three-game winning streak, but it won't be easy to continue that trend against a Saints offense that has committed only four turnovers this season—and never more than one in a game.
New Orleans is led by quarterback Spencer Rattler, a second-year pro who has thrown for 1,217 yards with six TDs, one interception and a 91.9 passer rating. He has also rushed for 143 yards on 26 carries. Rattler is the only NFL quarterback with more than 200 pass attempts and fewer than two interceptions.
"He's doing a good job of getting rid of the ball," said defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. "When he's able to get the ball out in rhythm and on timing, he's been highly successful. And then the second thing that he's been able to do is when it hasn't been there, he's been able to create a lot of things with his feet. His mobility is one of those factors that we're going to have to take into account."
The Saints offense ranks 29th in the NFL in points per game (18.5) and 24th in total yards, 19th rushing and 22nd passing. Running back Alvin Kamara leads New Orleans in rushing with 314 yards and one touchdown on 83 carries. Chris Olave tops Saints receivers with 39 catches for 342 yards and one TD.
New Orleans also features speedy receiver Rashid Shaheed, who has caught 26 passes for 316 yards and leads the team with two TD receptions and 12.2 yards per catch.
"[Shaheed] continues to get better each and every year," Allen said. "The one thing you notice about him [is] he's got elite speed. His speed down the field, his speed on crossing routes, how they use him on some of these jet sweeps or fly sweeps, he's continued to improve."
Key matchup: Bears cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright vs. Saints receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed
Stevenson and Wright will be entrusted with containing Olave and Shaheed, a talented tandem that give the Saints offense big-play ability—as evidenced by Shaheed's 87-yard TD reception Oct. 5 in a win over the Giants.
Fun facts
- Williams has 29 TD passes and eight interceptions in his career, the second-best touchdown-to-interception ratio among 98 quarterbacks with at least 600 pass attempts in their first two seasons behind only the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.
- On third down plays this season, Bears receiver Rome Odunze leads the NFL with four receptions of at least 20 yards, is tied for first with three TD catches and ranks third among receivers with 181 yards.
- With 108 yards rushing and 67 yards receiving Monday night against the Commanders, Swift became the first Bears player to compile more than 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving in a game since running back Matt Forte Nov. 16, 2014.
