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    Can the Bears Withstand Bear Weather?

    Bears and Saints In-Game Blog| Saints 26, Bears 23, OT FINAL

    In-game blog from BearDigest editor Gene Chamberlain from Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears attempt to avoid their first losing streak of the season and snap a streak of five straight losses to the New Orlean Saints.

    Overtime

    • Kamara breaks off run and Saints get 35-yard Lutz field goal for the win with 1:36 left in overtime. Final drive 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:12. 
    • Illegal contact on Skrine on the edge of field goal range and now the Saints are in range. BRather picky call for that point of overtime. With 1:47 left in the overtime at the Bears 31.
    •  2-minute warning. Again.
    • Smith over the middle for a completion of 14 yards to the Bears 38.
    • Incomplete on first down to Johnson at the Bears 38, knocked down by Jackson.
    •  again bludgeons Bears with a run for a first down to the Saints 48.
    • Saints from the 32 and a completion of 6
    • Another sack of Foles. Bears punting with four minutes left.
    • Incomplete to Graham, third-and-10.
    • Miller drops a boot pass for about 5 yards. Incomplete.
    • Holding on Chauncey Gardner-Johnson but Robinson makes a spectacular diving catch for the first down anyway for 17 yards at the 31.
    • Sack of Foles on second-and-6 and Bears are backed up to third-and-15 at their own 14. That's a field position killer.
    • Going for it but they take the delay of game. 
    • Saints at own 45. Incomplete screen to Kamara. Then Roquan Smith nearly intercepts. On third down pass to Hill gets 10 but it's fourth-and-2 for the Saints at the Bears 45.
    • Kamara breaks into the clear but fumbles on Jackson hit but recovers it himself at the Bears 40 but there is holding on the Saints on Smith right in the open field on Skrine.
    • Brees sneaks for 3. First down at Saints 47
    • Brees to Cook again over the middle. Jenkins hurt for the Bears. 9 yards
    • Saints from the 25.  Austin Carr fakes out Skrine and gains 10 on a pass.
    • Touchback
    • Saints won the toss. Bears have the wind.

    Fourth Quarter

    • Two fourth-down conversions were huge for Bears.
    • Ten seconds left and the Saints are at their 35 after a squib kick. They go victory formation and we'll have overtime.
    • Santos drills the 51-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. Tie game. The official left the mic on and we got a full blast of the players screaming. 12 plays 35 yards 1:38. Bears 23, Saints 23
    • Miller crossing OB and he got back 15 but it's a fourth-down 51-yard field goal into the wind by Santos.  He had plenty of leg even into the wind but it was iced.
    • The Bears will need to go for another fourth down and have no timeouts left.
    • Sack of Foles with 23 seconds left by Cameron Jordan. He had time to get a pass off but didn't get it off. Third-and-18 at the 48 of New Orleans.
    • Incomplete to Graham at the numbers 8 yards downfield.
    • Rolling right, Foles hits Robinson for the first down at the 40 going OB. There are 33 seconds left, one timeout.
    • Foles finds Robinson slanting for 6. Bears haven't used a timeout ojnn the drive and won't after Montgomery is stopped for no gain. Third and 4. Graham catches a 2-yard pass and it's fourth-and-2 at the Saints 47. Bears finally call a timeout with 38 seconds left.
    • Miller crossing route for a first down and a gain of 11 against the zone.
    • Incomplete on second down when Foles chooses not to throw short to a wide open receiver for 5, then throws incomplete to Graham.  Fourth Down.
    • The Saints can't challenge this but Sean Payton is whining. He'll probably try to get the rule changed next year like he always does.
    • Cole Kmet fumbles the ball at the Bears 34 after a catch and Saints have it. Officials ruled forward motion and that's not a  play that can be challenged. Bears have second-and-8 at the 34 with 1:47 left.
    • The Bears have two timeouts and take over at their own 32 after a shanked punt. Or they chose not to punt to Harris. A 31-yard punt with 1:51 left.
    • Danny Trevathan with his play of the year. Smelled Kamara coming, went into the flat and dragged him down for a loss of 3 at the 2-minute warning. Saints will punt.
    • Brees to Cook to the 40. Third-and 4. Clock running.
    • Murray inches forward for a yard and a half and the Bears call timeout No. 1.
    • Harris with another effective Saints return as the New Orleans special teams have recovered from a missed chip shot field goal to win this day. Saints at their 34.
    •  They went 11 plays and 75 yards but the 6:25 they took to do it was a killer. Only 3:32 left. Bears still have all their timeouts.
    • Foles finds Mooney on a 3-yard TD pass. Looked like the play he threw to Golden Tate to beat the Bears in the playoffs for the Eagles. Saints 23, Bears 20
    • First-and-goal run loses 2 yards to Montgomery. Second-and-goal play with 4:20 left and it goes nowhere. The Bears are killing off time while trailing by 10.
    • Pass interference on the Saints hitting Graham in the end zone.  Demario Davis with the penalty. Kind of questionable if he could have caught it.
    • Confusion in the huddle. Montgomery gets 1 back just before a delay-of-game penalty. Third-and-12 at the 14. 
    • Miller loses 3 on a dumb call. They're gaining yards downfield at will and they try to run laterally.
    • Foles finally finds Graham cutting out to the sideline at the 12. First down with 6:43 left.
    • Robinson 23-yard catch to the 28 over the middle.
    • To their credit, the Bears haven't abandoned the run. They move to the 49 on another run up the middle by Montgomery.
    • Bears have been outscored in third quarters 49-7 this year.
    • Taysom Hill a 20-yard post pattern for a touchdown. Saints 23, Bears 13.
    • Kamara appeared stopped on a run and they gave him the first down. .That's worth throwing the flag but Nagy doesn't.
    • Brees finds Smith for 9 on in-cut at the Bears 21.
    • Kamara barrels ahead for 6 and a first down. Danny Trevathan goes for the ball but can't get it.
    • Brees to Smith just before he's sacked and gets 4 thanks to brilliant open-field Skrine tackle. At Bears 36 with 12 minutes left.
    • Finds Kamara doing the same thing for another 13.
    • Brees moving in for the kill, throws to Cook slanting for 11 at the 47.
    • Incomplete pass  on pass downfield to Robinson. Saints take over at the 36. Would have been picked but alertly dropped because it meant a 25-yard change in field position.
    • Third-and-11 at the 42. Foles to Miller crossing for 6.  Bears will go for it instead of kicking or punting.
    • Third-and-6 at the 37 of New Orleans. The Bears are going into the wind in the fourth quarter. And they get a false start by Jimmy Graham.

    Third Quarter

    • Patterson on a 5-yard catch and toss to Montgomery isn't going anywhere. Nets a yard. Quarter ends. Saints 16, Bears 13
    • Play-action from Foles to Miller crossing for 16 yards to the Saints 41. Nice to see yards after the catch, even if it was sideways.
    • A completion to Smith but he runs up and doesn't get the first down. Fourth-and-1 at the Bears 41. Bears stuff Kamara on fourth down on run left. The defenses rises up and Roquan Smith gets him for a 2-yard loss with help from John Jenkins.
    • Kamara with a rare drop. Wide open in the flat for at least 5 or 6 yards. Incomplete. Third-and-13. Bear-Raid siren time.
    • Kamara stuffed by Mack for a 3-yard loss.
    • Bears have no points on last four possessions, Saints have 13 points on their last three and have it now on the fourth.
    • It's a usual Bears third quarter. No scoring, falling behind.
    • Brutal decision by Matt Nagy to have them try and draw off the Saints. You can't do that inside your own 20. It either costs you 5 yards of field position or a timeout. Just dumb. And then the Saints had another good return by Harris to the 50 after he'd set up an earlier field goal with a long punt return. They're giving away needed yardage in a tight game. Stupid.
    • Montgomery breaks for 7 outside and it's third-and-3. Montgomery is stuffed after 1 yard. Bears goin for it on their own 19 but they're just trying to draw off the Saints and are wasting a timeout.  Instead they take a delay-of-game penalty and lose 5 yards deep in their own territory. 
    • Dumb decision by Patterson to return kick backs Bears up to 11. First play Foles misses Mooney deep. Close to interference but he didn't really turn Mooney, just had hands on him.
    • Incomplete downfield to Kamara and Saints face fourth-and-3. They think about it but they'll try the 39-yard field goal.  Saints 16, Bears 13
    • Latavius Murray dragged down for a 4-yard gain and Hill runs wildcat for 3 yards. Third-and-3 at the 20.
    • Harris catches it in front of Buster Skrine for an 8-yard gain and first down.
    • DHC scoops up pass Brees lost control of. Looked like an incompletion as Hicks hit him. Sainits will go for it on fourth-and-6 from the 35 going into the wind.
    • Kamara runs up the middle for 3 with 8:14 left in the quarter.  Hill in wildcat. For once the Bears stop it but a blantant hold is ignored. Third-and-6.
    • Foles interception looked like pure panic. He didn't have Graham open and threw it to a side where he couldn't get it. and he threw it side-armed.
    • Apparently Wims was mad about Anthony Miller being roughed up elsewhere, had his eye poked, but just a dullard on that play.
    • Lattimore intercepts pass to Graham. Saints in business at the Bears 39. 
    • Patterson returns it 32 yards for good field position. Then a short pass to Allen Robinson but a fist fight breaks out on the other side of the field. Janoris Jenkins and Javon Wims fighting it appears. Wims sucker punched Jenkins as he was mouthing. Looks like an ejection and fine or even suspension on that for Wims. Stupid play. Wims ejected. Even dumber considering Ted Ginn and Riley Ridley are unactive.
    • On third-and-9 from 15 Brees throws to Juwan Johnson on a slant for 5 but they have to try a tying field goal of 27 yards. This time he makes it with 9:19 left in quarter. Bears 13, Saints 13.
    • Brees is trapped and throws away the pass but looked like rampant holding against Mack.
    • Hicks stops Murray for a 1-yard gain.
    • Predictably on third-and-9, Foles is sacked by Marcus Davenport. Bears punt but before the snap Patterson is flagged for a silly false start to put them back where the drive started at the 13. Harris breaks the punt return right and no one is there. A 42-yard return to Bears 16.
    • Bears take a delay-of-game penalty as confusion rules over whether David Montgomery should have been on the left or right side and whether Cole Kmet was positioned right.
    • Mooney on a short toss crossing the field for 5, then Montgomery hits over center for 1. Third-and-4.
    • Good hole opened for a 4-yard run and a first down over left guard. Pull action by Germain Ifedi and Coward with a nice opener.
    • Miller settles into a pocket in the zone for a 9-yard catch.
    • Patterson makes a dumb decision and tries to return a bouncing kickoff to the other side of the field and Bears start at their own 13.

    Halftime

    Montgomery 66 yards on nine rushes. Foles 9 of 11 for 114 yards with a touchdown to Allen Robinson II after he beat Marshon Lattimore. Brees 16 of 19 for 148 yards with a TD. Kamara seven catches for 86 yards. 

    The offensive line injuries make a lead by the Bears imperative. They're not equipped to come from behind and stand up to a pass rush with Rashaad Coward, Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher up front. 

    Missed 27-yard Lutz field goal is the difference right now.

    Second Quarter

    • Nine plays, 68 yards despite a strip sack on the drive. Nall returns squib kick. Half ends. Bears 13, Saints 10
    • Cook wide open in the zone for a 16-yard TD pass cutting in with three seconds remaining. Bears 13, Saints 10
    • Incomplete to Cook with Fuller in coverage and eight seconds left.
    • No one covers Kamara again and he gets 8 out of bounds with 18 seconds left. Now at Bears 29. Pass interference at the Bears 15 with 12 seconds left. Fuller interferred with Harris.
    • Brees to Smith for 4 yards to the Bears 37. Just 23 seconds left. Saints with one timeout.
    • Kamara takes a toss off left end for 7. First down. Saints have a tail wind here.
    • Mack has sacks in four straight games and Saints complete psas to Kamara for 12. Fourth-and-1 at the Bears 48. Timeout by the Saints with 34 seconds left.
    • Short pass and the Saints face third-and-13 at their 40 with 58 seconds left.
    • Jared Cook so far pretty quiet but caches an 11-yarder on first down with Jackson covering. Then a strip sack of Brees at his 35 but he recovers it. Penalty on the play is waved off. They called illegal contact on  the Bears but the ball had been fumbled by the time of the contact. Sack and forced fumble by Mack.
    • Squib kick returned to the 32 by Saints.
    • Alex Bars playing right tackle now. Two former Notre Dame offensive linemen on the line now.
    • Incomplete over the middle. Bears settle for a Santos field goal try of 29 yards with 1:43 left in the half. He makes it. Bears 13, Saints 3.  Seven plays, 50 yards, 2:13 on the drive, made by a 38-yard run by Montgomery.
    • Ryan Pace told WBBM in a pregame interview he's open to a trade if anyone has someone available. I think he's going to have to trade for an offensive line.
    • A Ryan Nall sighting. He catches a 2-yard pass out of the backfield and Bears face third-and-2. Now Spriggs is hurt. Rarely does Spriggs play many downs in any season it seems. Looking at his left knee.
    • Montgomery hesitates and gets only a yard on a run off left edge. 
    • Questionable return for Roy Robertson-Harris, who has a shoulder injury.
    • The 38-yard run gives the Bears 72 first-half rushing yards against the league's fourth-ranked run defense, while using three backup blockers most of the half.
    • Sheldon Rankins injured on the run by Montgomery, is helped off the field. 2:06 left in quarter and Bears let it run to the two-minute warning.
    • Montgomery busts one between center and left guard to the Saints 14. One of the Saints is injured on the 38-yard run. Montgomery's longest run of the season.
    • Three-and-out and Bears start from their own 39. Two runs net 9
    • Bears punt to Harris who looks like Ted Ginn on the punt. He lets it go and it rolls to the Saints 14. 6:03 left. A 53-yard punt downed by DHC.
    • Third-and-14 and David Montgomery can't haul in a short pass. If he caught it, he'd have gained 2 yards.
    • Bear start in 13 personnel and try to fool them with a pass to Patterson. He loses 4. Why they would bring in 3 tight ends and throw wide to a back makes no sense. Incomplete to Graham on second down.
    • Dwayne Harris' first punt return on a windy day is for 12 yards and Bears start from their 37. 7:04 remaining in quarter.
    • Two passes net 5 and Saints face third-and-5 at their 27 and Brees goes deep but Kyle Fuller has Tre'Quan Smith blanketed. Incomplete. Saints punt.
    • The 50-yard pass to Mooney to set up the TD was the longest Bears completion. The catch by Mooney was the longest by the Bears since Nov. 3, 2019. Taylor Gabriel made a 53-yarder then against the Eagles.
    • Montgomery falls forward off left guard for 1. Second-and-9. Finger-tip catch well behind the defenders. Bears 10, Saints 3.
    • Play-action bomb and this time Mooney is hit perfectly after getting behind the defense. A 50-yard gain to the 25.
    • Pile-driving run by Montgomery behind Cordarrelle Patterson nets 5.
    • Staley the Bear, the mascot, is wearing a face mask. Good for him. 
    • Brees dumps it down to Murray for a 4-yard gain and the Saints settle for a 27-yard Lutz field goal with 10:50 left in the half but it doinks off the right upright. No good. First miss of the year for Lutz after he was 12 for 12.
    • At the Bears 11 on second-and-3, end around to Deonte Harris and he's stopped, reverses field and goes back but is stopped for 2-yard loss. Third-and-9 at the 13.
    • Kamara pounds back off right guard for 3.
    • For some reason Taysom Hill can't be tackled by the Bears. They let him run 12 yards up the middle out of wildcat.
    • Kamara even puts Eddie Jackson to shame as a receiver. Gets a pass in the short open field and turns it into a 14-yard gain with Jackson trying to cover him.
    • Akiem Hicks blows up run by Murray and Mack and Urban make the stop for 1-yard loss
    • Not sure what the Bears would ever blitz for today with Brees going into the wind and not having a big arm. They put themselves in a hole. But now it's at his back. Even he should be able to throw downfield.

    First Quarter

    Bears 3, Saints 3

    • At the 14 for the Saints after Murray nets 2. Amazing little pass over the middle and no one covered Kamara. He ran against the blitz 47 yards to the Bears 39 a quarter ends. 
    • Deonte Harris with a nifty return weaving in traffic but the Saints formed a wedge which is a personal foul. They'll start from their own 12. They formed the wedge but he didn't use it.
    • Nine straight field goals by Santos.
    • 14 plays, 49 yards, 7:00 on the drive. Bears match a short drive with long minutes by pulling off one of their own to tie it.
    • Foles to Mooney at sideline for a 7-yard gain. Bears to try a 44-yard field goal. It's good Bears 3, Saints 3 with 1:13 left in the quarter.
    • Montgomery can't get outside and loses 1 on first down. Then Foles has no one open and unwisely takes a sack, knocking them back to the Saints 33.  Loss of 9.
    • Massie's injury is a knee and return is questionable.
    • Matt Nagy crosses them up with a third-and-7 run by Montgomery and he churns for 7.
    • Nicely set up screen to Miller but Foles is out of his element throwing on the move and overshoots it.
    • Mitchell Trubisky comes on for a trick option run and gets 3 yards. He's lost his wheels.
    • Foles to Miller for 11 and he falls or he could have had another 10.
    • Montgomery gets 5 around left end but could have had more if he had his head up.
    • That might have been the worst call I have ever seen because it was right out in the open and apparent the ball just hit his hand.
    • Replay of course overturns the play. What a terrible effort by officials.
    • Incomplete screen but officials say Montgomery fumbled. Officials with yet another horrendous call. Montgomery barely had the pass hit his hand. Never had anything close to possession. Again the officials look like they're blind. This has happened in so many games this season to both the Bears and their opponents. The league needs to investigate why they are so bad.
    • Jason Spriggs making his Bears debut at right tackle. There is one Bears offensive lineman on the field who played their position for the offense last year. Charles Leno Jr.
    • That will be the third offensive lineman injured for the Bears. Left leg injury for Massie, being assisted off the field limping.
    • Foles to Wims along the sideline for 9. No huddle and David Montgomery gets the first down but Bobby Massie is injured.
    • Boot pass to Darnell Mooney for 4. Got the Saints moving the wrong direction
    • Touchback. Nick Foles slant to Anthony Miller nets 8.
    • First drive for Saints went 55 yards in 12 plays, 6:47. Brees threw for only 17 yards on five completions. 5-for-5.
    • Brees doesn't look downfield, throws in the flat to Murray and Roquan Smith is all over it, for 1-yard gain. Will Lutz kicks a 38-yard field goalwith 8:13 left in quarter. Saints 3, Bears 0
    • Kate Urban's husband, Brent, stuffs another screen for 1 yard.
    • Kamara loses 1 on screen left and it's second-and-11 from the Bears 22.
    • Kamara breaks a 20-yard run off left guard. No one home on the back side.
    • Screen to Hill opens up nicely but Hill slips and falls after a gain of 7. Third-and-2 at Bears 41.
    • At Bears 49 after first-down run, Kamara gets 2 behind center.
    • Brees to Murray at the sideline and nets 9. Second-and-1 at the 48.
    • Bears react poorly to Taysom Hill at quarterback and he runs for 9 yards.
    • Saints start in an unbalanced line with an extra tackle, Latavius Murray with 2 yards off right guard, then Alvin Kamara 3 off left tackle. Third-and-5.
    • Touchback with the wind at Cairo Santos' back

    Bears win toss and defer

    Wind blowing out of the NW at 22 mph and gusting, temperature is 38 degrees and it feels like 28.

    Ted Ginn Jr. being inactive means Dwayne Harris returns punts for the Bears. Most likely Cordarrelle Patterson will stay on kicks. No Lamar Miller this week. Maybe in the season's second half.

    Inactives

    Saints

    • WR Michael Thomas
    • WR Marquez Callway
    • G Nick Easton
    • DB D.J. Swearinger
    • OL Derrick Kelly II
    • DL Malcolm Roach

    Bears

    • C Cody Whitehair
    • WR Ted Ginn Jr.
    • DB Duke Shelley
    • RB Artavis Pierce
    • WR Riley Ridley
    • LB Trevis Gipson

    The wind has dissipated somewhat at Soldier Field from what it was earlier in the day but we'll get official measurements soon. An hour ago it was 39 degrees with a 22 mph wind and gusting. Also, the wind seems to be coming straight out of one direction and not swirling as it sometimes does, so it's an easier read.

    The idea of the weather actually helping the Bears against warm-weather or dome teams actually was valid at one point, but a team has to be able to take advantage of such conditions and these Bears are ill-equipped to have an edge when the weather turns. You need to run, to throw shorter and not downfield and to defend the run well when the winds of November hit. The Bears can't run, they can't defend the run and they're relying too much on the pass for any offense. 

    On the other hand, the Saints are the team perfectly suited to play in these conditions. Drew Brees is an extremely accurate short passer. They have a dangerous tight end and a running back who can be a bigger part of the passing game than many wide receivers. Their defense is at its best stopping the run.  It's all making for a tough scenario for the home team.

    Warmups and Brad Biggs have combined to answer one question for today.

     

     

    Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

     
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