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NEW ORLEANS
CHICAGO |
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Final
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| 425 | NEW ORLEANS | -2.5 | -1.5 | | 426 | CHICAGO | 45.5 | 50 |
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| All Games | 4-0 | +4 | 3-1 | 1-3 | 27.0 | 14.5 | 419.5 | (6.4) | 1.2 | 13.7 | 8.5 | 304.5 | (5.7) | 2.5 | | Road Games | 1-0 | +1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 16.0 | 10.0 | 371.0 | (5.6) | 2.0 | 14.0 | 7.0 | 273.0 | (5) | 2.0 | | Last 3 Games | 3-0 | +3 | 2-1 | 1-2 | 28.3 | 15.0 | 419.7 | (6.3) | 1.3 | 12.7 | 8.0 | 283.7 | (5.3) | 2.7 | | Grass Games | 1-0 | +1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 16.0 | 10.0 | 371.0 | (5.6) | 2.0 | 14.0 | 7.0 | 273.0 | (5) | 2.0 |
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| Offense (All Games) | 27.0 | 14.5 | 22.2 | 34:17 | 24-81 | (3.4) | 28-41 | 66.9% | 338 | (8.2) | 66-419 | (6.4) | (15.5) | | Opponents Defensive Avg. | 22.1 | 11.3 | 20.8 | 31:07 | 24-90 | (3.7) | 25-41 | 62.4% | 275 | (6.8) | 65-365 | (5.6) | (16.5) | | Offense Road Games | 16.0 | 10.0 | 21.0 | 32:36 | 20-75 | (3.7) | 26-46 | 56.5% | 296 | (6.4) | 66-371 | (5.6) | (23.2) | | Defense (All Games) | 13.7 | 8.5 | 16.7 | 25:43 | 20-112 | (5.5) | 18-32 | 56.9% | 192 | (5.9) | 53-304 | (5.7) | (22.1) | | Opponents Offensive Avg. | 18.6 | 10.1 | 19.2 | 29:53 | 22-86 | (3.8) | 23-38 | 60.0% | 243 | (6.4) | 60-329 | (5.5) | (17.7) | | Defense Road Games | 14.0 | 7.0 | 14.0 | 27:24 | 33-160 | (4.8) | 9-22 | 40.9% | 113 | (5.1) | 55-273 | (5) | (19.5) |
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| Stats For (All Games) | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 13-6 | 45.3% | 0-0 | 0.0% | 1-20 | (20.5) | 3-26 | (9.6) | 5-42 | | Opponents Avg. Stats Against | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 14-5 | 39.4% | 1-0 | 42.9% | 1-29 | (22.2) | 14-2 | (7.2) | 6-55 | | Stats For (Road Games) | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 14-5 | 35.7% | 1-0 | 0.0% | 1-23 | (23) | 1-2 | (2) | 5-35 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.5 | | 11-4 | 34.8% | 0-0 | 0.0% | 2-47 | (26.9) | 2-10 | (5.9) | 5-45 | | Opponents Avg. Stats For | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.9 | | 13-5 | 39.2% | 1-0 | 11.1% | 1-36 | (26) | 9-2 | (5.4) | 6-54 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | | 13-5 | 38.5% | 0-0 | 0.0% | 1-33 | (33) | 2-0 | (0) | 10-118 |
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| All Games | 3-1 | +2 | 1-2 | 4-0 | 31.7 | 17.7 | 352.2 | (5.7) | 2.2 | 28.5 | 18.7 | 384.0 | (6.3) | 3.5 | | Home Games | 2-0 | +2 | 0-1 | 2-0 | 27.5 | 17.0 | 367.0 | (5.8) | 2.5 | 25.5 | 17.5 | 345.0 | (5.9) | 3.0 | | Last 3 Games | 2-1 | +1 | 1-2 | 3-0 | 34.3 | 20.3 | 362.0 | (5.8) | 2.7 | 31.0 | 20.3 | 398.7 | (6.3) | 3.7 | | Grass Games | 3-0 | +3 | 1-1 | 3-0 | 31.7 | 19.3 | 330.7 | (5.4) | 1.7 | 24.7 | 15.0 | 383.0 | (6.4) | 3.7 |
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| Offense (All Games) | 31.7 | 17.7 | 18.5 | 30:28 | 24-112 | (4.6) | 24-37 | 64.4% | 240 | (6.4) | 62-352 | (5.7) | (11.1) | | Opponents Defensive Avg. | 25.9 | 14.1 | 20.9 | 31:38 | 26-110 | (4.2) | 24-39 | 62.0% | 257 | (6.6) | 65-366 | (5.6) | (14.1) | | Offense Home Games | 27.5 | 17.0 | 20.5 | 31:02 | 27-105 | (3.9) | 24-36 | 68.1% | 262 | (7.3) | 63-367 | (5.8) | (13.3) | | Defense (All Games) | 28.5 | 18.7 | 20.2 | 29:32 | 26-106 | (4) | 23-35 | 65.5% | 278 | (8) | 61-384 | (6.3) | (13.5) | | Opponents Offensive Avg. | 24.2 | 13.7 | 19.8 | 29:22 | 24-91 | (3.8) | 23-37 | 62.9% | 265 | (7.2) | 61-356 | (5.8) | (14.7) | | Defense Home Games | 25.5 | 17.5 | 18.5 | 28:58 | 27-93 | (3.4) | 21-31 | 66.7% | 252 | (8) | 58-345 | (5.9) | (13.5) |
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| Stats For (All Games) | 1.5 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 13-5 | 35.2% | 1-1 | 100.0% | 4-128 | (28.6) | 1-4 | (4.5) | 4-37 | | Opponents Avg. Stats Against | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 14-5 | 36.9% | 1-0 | 57.1% | 3-67 | (25.5) | 15-2 | (7.1) | 5-54 | | Stats For (Home Games) | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 13-6 | 50.0% | 0-0 | 100.0% | 3-147 | (42) | 1-0 | (0.5) | 4-47 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.5 | | 12-5 | 39.6% | 1-0 | 66.7% | 2-65 | (28.9) | 1-18 | (18.5) | 5-48 | | Opponents Avg. Stats For | 1 | 1.2 | 2.2 | | 13-5 | 36.6% | 1-0 | 46.2% | 2-62 | (24.6) | 13-2 | (7.3) | 6-57 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | | 13-7 | 51.9% | 1-1 | 100.0% | 2-75 | (37.5) | 0-6 | (13) | 5-54 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: NEW ORLEANS 17.8, CHICAGO 19.8 |
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| 9/8/2013 | ATLANTA | 23-17 | W | -3.5 | W | 53.5 | U | 29-78 | 26-35-341 | 1 | 14-88 | 25-38-279 | 2 | | 9/15/2013 | @ TAMPA BAY | 16-14 | W | -3 | L | 48.5 | U | 20-75 | 26-46-296 | 2 | 33-160 | 9-22-113 | 2 | | 9/22/2013 | ARIZONA | 31-7 | W | -7 | W | 48.5 | U | 24-104 | 29-46-319 | 1 | 16-86 | 18-35-161 | 2 | | 9/30/2013 | MIAMI | 38-17 | W | -6.5 | W | 48.5 | O | 24-68 | 30-39-397 | 1 | 19-115 | 22-35-216 | 4 | | 9/30/2013 | MIAMI | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10/6/2013 | @ CHICAGO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10/13/2013 | @ NEW ENGLAND | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10/27/2013 | BUFFALO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/3/2013 | @ NY JETS | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| 9/8/2013 | CINCINNATI | 24-21 | W | -3 | T | 41 | O | 28-81 | 21-33-242 | 1 | 21-63 | 26-33-277 | 3 | | 9/15/2013 | MINNESOTA | 31-30 | W | -6 | L | 40.5 | O | 26-129 | 28-39-282 | 4 | 33-123 | 16-30-227 | 3 | | 9/22/2013 | @ PITTSBURGH | 40-23 | W | -2 | W | 40.5 | O | 28-107 | 20-30-151 | 0 | 21-80 | 26-41-379 | 5 | | 9/29/2013 | @ DETROIT | 32-40 | L | 3 | L | 47.5 | O | 16-131 | 27-47-286 | 4 | 30-159 | 23-35-228 | 3 | | 10/6/2013 | NEW ORLEANS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10/10/2013 | NY GIANTS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10/20/2013 | @ WASHINGTON | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11/4/2013 | @ GREEN BAY | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| |  | NEW ORLEANS: The Saints are a pass-heavy offense, but they feature one of the NFL's most versatile and unique running games. They have a series of looks they can run out of, the most common of which is Mark Ingram behind fullback Jed Collins. They use a series of zone and man blocking schemes borrowed from other systems. Darren Sproles is on the field a lot, but primarily in spread formations from which the Saints almost always throw. Most of his touches will come on receptions. Pierre Thomas is the team's most versatile back.
The return of head coach Sean Payton should be a nice boost for Drew Brees and the passing game. This is a spread passing attack, with a lot of West Coast routes. Brees is most comfortable with Marques Colston, who does a lot of his work facing the line of scrimmage. They'll also use TE Jimmy Graham as basically a receiver 1A, moving him around in formations and having him work underneath or up the seam when the matchup is right. Slot receiver Lance Moore also did more work up the seam last year, though he only plays about 60 percent of snaps. Joe Morgan will take Devery Henderson's field-stretching role on the outside. The Saints are very pass-heavy in the red zone, throwing on a league-high 71.2 percent of their goal-to-go plays in 2012.
The Saints gave up 908 more yards than any other NFL team, setting a league record for futility with 7,042 total yards allowed. They also surrendered the second-most points (28.4 PPG). New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan inherits a defense that recorded just six sacks in the final six games. There are still productive veterans in ILBs Curtis Lofton and Jonathan Vilma to lead the front seven, but two newcomers must have a huge impact right away, former Steelers CB Keenan Lewis, and versatile rookie FS Kenny Vaccaro. | | CHICAGO: New offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer coached the line and running backs during his tenure in New Orleans (he'll also coach the O-Line this season), and the Saints ran a sophisticated and versatile running scheme. Expect both man and zone blocking from the Bears, and they'll likely be running out of spread looks much more often than last year. Matt Forte is still the lead rusher, and he'll stay on the field on third downs as one of the league's best passing down backs. Michael Bush will spell him and take a third of the workload, including the majority of short-yardage runs and goal-line carries.
New head coach Marc Trestman will run an offense more like what Jay Cutler ran in Denver. They'll use a lot of spread looks with more quick-hitters, short hitches and slants. Brandon Marshall is the primary target, a possession receiver who does most of his work facing the line of scrimmage. Alshon Jeffery will likely work underneath a little bit more in his second season. Slot receiver Earl Bennett should see an uptick in reps, though he's been marginalized by Marshall. TE Martellus Bennett will likely get the chance to flex out more, and Forte will catch plenty of screens. The Bears figure to lean heavily on the backs in the red zone, and when they do throw, Cutler usually force-feeds Marshall.
New defensive coordinator Mel Tucker won't tinker much with this defense that led the NFL with 44 takeaways, including eight pick-sixes. DE Julius Peppers (111.5 career sacks) is still a menace, CBs Tim Jennings (NFL-high 9 INT) and Charles Tillman (10 FF, 3 TD) are outstanding, and 24-year-old SS Major Wright (4 INT) is a rising star in this league. New MLB D.J. Williams is a suitable replacement for the retired Brian Urlacher, working alongside accomplished WLB Lance Briggs and new SLB James Anderson. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW (NEW ORLEANS-CHICAGO) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Saints-Bears Preview* ======================
By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer
The New Orleans Saints are doing all they can not to get caught up in their best start in four seasons.
If they are to remain undefeated Sunday, the Saints must end a three-game road skid against the Chicago Bears, who are looking to bounce back from their first loss.
A year ago, New Orleans (4-0) was winless through four games under interim coach Aaron Kromer as the bounty situation and suspension of coach Sean Payton hung over the franchise.
The Saints, though, are again comfortable, confident and back to their winning ways with Payton having returned and Rob Ryan in charge of a much-improved defense.
They also aren't planning on letting anything hinder their focus on maintaining their best start since opening 13-0 during the Super Bowl season of 2009.
"You just got to tune out everything outside the locker room and focus on going to play a good opponent this week," said receiver Marques Colston, who has 21 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown. "You've got to fight against human nature at all times, and 4-0 was obviously the start that we were looking, for but there's still a lot of football yet to be played.
"So it's focusing on the reason why we are sitting at 4-0 and just continuing to try to get better."
After totaling 39 points to beat Atlanta and Tampa Bay by a combined eight points, New Orleans has outscored Arizona and previously undefeated Miami 69-24 the last two weeks.
Drew Brees threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair to tight end Jimmy Graham, in a 38-17 rout of the Dolphins on Monday.
Completing 66.9 percent of his passes and coming off his 10th 400-yard passing game, Brees has thrown seven TDs and one interception the last two games after recording three of each in the first two. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes during the Saints' 0-4 start last season.
Graham has 23 receptions for 413 yards and five touchdowns in the last three games. Versatile running back Darren Sproles scored twice and made seven catches for 114 on Monday.
"To me, the last couple of games, we felt that rhythm," right tackle Zach Strief said. "We talk about getting into a rhythm and getting into a tempo and it's based on things working and execution. I think we're starting to feel that."
The Saints rank fourth in the NFL with 419.5 yards per game and are tied for seventh with 27.0 points a contest.
After giving up an average of 440.1 yards and 28.4 points in 2012, New Orleans ranks sixth with an average of 304.5 yards allowed and fifth at 13.8 points under Ryan.
"We all try to be, as coaches, very critical of ourselves, just like we'd be of players," Payton said. "I don't know that there's ever any complete satisfaction. It's not like a Snickers bar, so I think you're always looking to improve."
Though New Orleans beat the Bears 30-13 at the Superdome in the teams' last meeting Sept. 18, 2011, Payton is 0-3 with the Saints at Soldier Field, the most recent of those matchups coming in 2008. The slide began with a 39-14 defeat in the NFC championship game during the 2006 season.
Brees hasn't been at his best in Chicago either, completing 55.7 percent of his passes with seven TDs and six interceptions while going 0-4 there.
Chicago (3-1) rode a precise offense under new coordinator Kromer and its typically opportunistic defense to wins over Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, but it struggled on both sides of the ball in a 40-32 loss at Detroit on Sunday.
Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns but also had three interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD. The Bears defense forced three more turnovers but allowed Reggie Bush to run for 139 yards.
"I don't think what happened (last Sunday) means that it has to happen next week or the week after," coach Marc Trestman said. "It could, but we're working to prevent those situations from happening. We got guys committed to do that."
That starts with Cutler, who has completed a career-high 64.2 percent of his passes but has been intercepted six times and lost two fumbles.
"We sat in the meeting and Jay expressed his sense of accountability," Trestman said.
"We're just going to work together on the corrections. We've got to get back and work on fundamentals and techniques, not only at the quarterback position but throughout our team."
Poor tackling Sunday plagued a defense that's forced 14 turnovers but ranks 20th with 384.0 yards allowed per game and 26th with 28.5 points given up.
Chicago running back Matt Forte ranks among the NFL leaders with 120.0 total yards a contest. He caught 10 passes for 117 yards in the 2011 meeting with New Orleans.
Cutler, sacked six times in that contest, has thrown three TDs and one pick while going 1-1 against the Saints.
Game Notes: |
| | Last Updated: 4/19/2024 9:32:43 AM EST. |
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