Underdog Role No Problem for Bears After Backing into Playoffs
Coming in as 10 1/2-point underdogs to New Orleans in the playoffs makes the Bears feel a bit more daring, if not dangerous.
"We got nothing to lose," quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said. "We know everybody is overlooking us. They have the back half of the season. I think we've been just playing with that edge, that chip on our shoulder. We don't have anything to lose. We should go out there and play free.
"But that doesn't mean you're going out there and not doing you job. We gotta be locked into the small details of our game plan and our job descriptions and just play hard and play with a lot of passion and will and if we do that, I think we’ll give ourselves a good chance. But we gotta come in playing smart and play disciplined football. But that doesn't mean coming in being uptight. I think go in and play free like we got nothing to lose."
For comparison's sake, the New York Giants were 12-point underdogs when they won Super Bowl XLII in February of 2008. Tom Brady and the Patriots were 14-point underdogs to the Greatest Show on Turf in Super Bowl XXXIV but won. Upsets happen all the time, but Bears are trying to do this as a seventh seed and this has never been tried.
Coach Matt Nagy stopped a bit short of delivering a Norman Dale pregame type of speech out of the movie "Hoosiers," but acknowledged the odds are stacked against his team.
"We understand people have opinions, but at the same time, we're gonna do what we know, and that's to believe in one another and play hard for each other," Nagy said. "And so when you look at that, you can understand where people are coming from.
"But the beauty of sports and the beauty of competition—and all teams understand this —is that really, when you get to Sunday, or Saturday, whenever you play, anything can happen. For us in our building, when you believe in each other like we do, we understand that. So the only thing we can do is keep believing in one another, know that it’s a new season, and just put the best product that we can out there on Sunday against this football team in the Saints that's playing really well."
The second-seeded Saints are playoff-tested veterans at home. They've beaten the Bears six straight times, including Nov. 1 in overtime in Chicago 26-23.
They could be getting back wide receiver Michael Thomas from an ankle injury and a few weeks ago got wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders back from injury. Neither played against the Bears last time.
If he passes a COVID-19 test, running back Alvin Kamara could be available as well.
So everything is looking up for New Orleans, while the Bears not only have underdog status but injuries. They didn't have linebacker Roquan Smith or wide receiver Darnell Mooney at practice Wednesday, Smith due to an elbow injury and Mooney because of an ankle injury suffered in Sunday's 35-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
They're also without slot cornerback Buster Skrine due to a concussion.
However, starting cornerback Jaylon Johnson was able to practice Wednesday despite a shoulder injury. It was his first practice in four weeks and it would be a huge step forward if the Bears didn't have to rely on both untested cornerbacks Duke Shelley and Kindle Vildor in a playoff game.
At least the Bears can be happy they won't have to face the angry mob that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome can be in a playoff game.
Only a smattering of fans will be allowed inside due to the pandemic.
"You know I think that I've been a part of the New Orleans crowd when it was just rocking," Bears safety Tashaun Gipson said. "That was one of the things that the atmosphere was electric. So for them to lose that I think that that's going to be key for any opponent that's going in there, playoff or not."
The stadium was full last year when the Saints came in as eight-point favorites for the wild-card round against the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota won 26-20 in overtime.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
