The New Orleans Saints, with their formidable pass defense, have the potential to dominate the Chicago Bears’ passing game. After a victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the Saints are now 4-4 and set to face the struggling 2-6 Chicago Bears in Week 9.
They are seeking consecutive wins for only the third time in Coach Dennis Allen’s 25-game tenure. While New Orleans relied heavily on their defense earlier in the season, they have faced challenges in recent weeks, with slow starts.
Nevertheless, their defense ranks fifth in total yardage and second on third downs, allowing an average of just 296.4 yards per game and holding five opponents to 20 points or fewer.
After conceding a season-high in points, yards, and rushing yardage to the Colts, the Saints now face the 19th-ranked Chicago offense, which averages 21.4 points and 320.7 yards per game, primarily relying on their ground game.
The Bears will be without their starting quarterback, Justin Fields, for the third consecutive week, with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent taking his place.
Although Bagent lacks the rushing threat Fields poses, he has shown poise against the rush and accuracy, completing 70% of his passes for 477 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions in his last three games. The Bears acquired wide receiver D.J. Moore in the offseason, who is a familiar target to the New Orleans defense.
Moore leads the Bears in receptions, yards, and scores, making him a key playmaker. Other receivers include Darnell Mooney, Tyler Scott, and Velus Jones, who have contributed modestly. Rookie running back Roschon Johnson, now with an expanded role due to an injured starting running back, adds versatility to the Bears’ backfield.
In addition, the Bears feature tight end Cole Kmet, who has become a reliable target, but their offensive line has struggled with pass protection, ranking near the bottom in sacks allowed.
New Orleans’ pass defense, on the other hand, has quietly been effective, as they haven’t allowed an opposing passer to throw for 275 yards in 34 consecutive games. They currently rank seventh against the pass, giving up an average of 189.5 yards per game, but they lack pass rush, with only 15 sacks.
The Saints have a strong secondary with Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, and Paulson Adebo at cornerback, but they have had some lapses against underwhelming receivers in critical situations. Safety Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye provide stability in the secondary.
The key factors to watch for are the Saints’ ability to mix zone with man-to-man coverage and their reliance on their secondary to challenge the struggling Chicago passing game. Generating pressure on the quarterback is a growing concern for the Saints, but they can overcome it by disrupting receivers at the line of scrimmage and creating opportunities for their talented secondary to make game-changing plays. Overall, the Saints appear to have an advantage over the Bears’ offensive line, and they must capitalize on this by disrupting the Bears’ running game and forcing them to rely on their passing attack, aligning with the strengths of the Saints’ defense.
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