Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints – Week 9 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (2-6) and back-up quarterback Tyson Bagent had a rough game in Los Angeles Sunday night. The young QB threw a pair of interceptions as the Chargers dominated in a comfortable victory. Head coach Matt Eberflus had to fire a second assistant coach this season as his team continues to be in turmoil.
Chicago faces another difficult road game as they travel to the Superdome for a match up with the Saints (4-4). New Orleans has been all over the place this season in a very weak NFC South .They are led by an excellent defense which allows just 296.4 yards and 19.3 points a game, both in the Top-10 of the NFL in 2023.
It’s been a lot more difficult on the offensive side of the ball behind new quarterback Derek Carr. Red zone issues have held the Saints to just 21.4 points a game despite averaging 349.1 yards a contest. The return of dynamic running back Alvin Kamara from suspension has certainly helped but scoring has still been a struggle.
The quality defense from Dennis Allen’s team keeps them in pretty much every game and they will be facing the rookie Bagent with Justin Fields still nursing his thumb injury. The Bears will get a boost from new stud defensive lineman Montez Sweat who was acquired from Washington Tuesday.
Chicago’s chances to win this game are not very high. They are going to need a complete effort a lot like the one they had against Las Vegas two weeks ago. The current quarterback situation puts them in a very difficult position, but you never know, maybe they can pull a surprise on another mediocre opponent. Stranger things have happened.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, November 5 at 12:00pm CT on CBS, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Try to get pressure on Derek Carr. The former Raiders quarterback is susceptible to pressure and will make mistakes if he is under duress. This is a chance for Chicago’s new addition Sweat to make an immediate impact on the pass rush.
- Limit Tyson Bagent’s exposure in the passing game. The young Bears quarterback made a lot of bad decisions in Los Angeles and they need to avoid that in this game. They need a big effort out of the running game and also to simplify any passing plays they do run.
- Hold the Saints to field goals in the red zone. New Orleans can move the ball but they struggle to pay off drives with touchdowns. If Chicago can keep that trend going they might have a chance to spring the upset.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Saints are an 8.5 point favorite at home over the Bears. Vegas is not expecting a shootout with a pretty low over/under at 41.5.
It’s Football Weather
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is of course indoors and the temperature is climate controlled, so weather isn’t a factor this week.
My Prediction
Points are going to be hard to come by in this game so I expect a pretty low scoring contest. I think New Orleans will be more successful and will take home a relatively easy 21-10 win.
Official Bears Preview
Here are Bears analysts Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer previewing the Bears’ upcoming Week 9 matchup o
