Saints vs. Bears Series History

An intertwined history between the Gulf Coast and Lake Michigan resumes when Brees and the Saints blow into the Windy City to take on The Monsters of the Midway and Da Bears.

The 4-2 New Orleans Saints travel to Lake Michigan's shores this Sunday to face the 5-2 Chicago Bears. It will be the 32nd meeting between the two franchises, with the Saints holding a 16-15 edge in the series and the Bears holding a 10-9 advantage when they meet in Chicago. The first meeting between the teams took place on December 1, 1968, in Tulane Stadium, during the Saints’ second season of existence. Chicago intercepted New Orleans quarterback Billy Kilmer four times and got 112 rushing yards from RB Brian Piccolo on their way to a 23-17 win.

The Bears would win their first three matchups against the Saints, the third of which was a 35-14 triumph on October 10, 1971. It was the first time the two played each other in Chicago. In that game, the Bears pounded the Saints with 202 rushing yards and raced to a 35-7 halftime lead to cruise to the victory. Chicago would win five of their first six matchups against the Saints, with the only New Orleans win coming in a 21-16 home victory on October 7, 1973.

CREDIT: Nola.com

The Saints would finally get a win in Chicago on October 2, 1977. New Orleans overcame 11 penalties and three turnovers, and 193 total yards and three scores from Bears RB Walter Payton. They’d grind out 197 yards of their own on the ground from Chuck Muncie, Tony Galbreath, and Archie Manning, and score two defensive touchdowns to roll to a 42-24 win. The Bears would be a playoff team in 1977, one of only twice in the decade they'd have a winning season, while the Saints had only one non-losing season during the 1970s.

CREDIT: ChicagoBears.com

In the 1980s, the fortunes of both teams would turn around. The Bears, built by owner George Halas and General Manager Jim Finks, hired Hall of Fame TE Mike Ditka to be their head coach in 1982. Ditka's first home game as coach was the second game of the ‘82 season against the New Orleans Saints. Running back, Wayne Wilson rushed for 138 yards to help the Saints win a 10-0 defensive slugfest. It would be the only shutout achieved by either team in the series.

Ditka would build the Bears into a powerhouse in the 80s, leading them to a Super Bowl XX victory in New Orleans over the New England Patriots during the 1985 season. The year before that, as the Bears established themselves as title contenders, they would host New Orleans on a blustery Chicago day on October 7, 1984. 

Chicago's intimidating defense would hold New Orleans QB Richard Todd to just 7 of 26, passing in a 20-7 win, but the game itself took the second stage to NFL history. On a six-yard 3rd quarter run over the left side, legendary Bears RB Walter Payton, who rushed for 154 yards in the game, passed Jim Brown as the NFL's all-time rushing leader.

CREDIT: USA TODAY SPORTS

The Saints would show significant improvement themselves during the decade, especially after hiring former Bears GM Jim Finks and defensive-minded head coach Jim Mora in 1986, who orchestrated the formation of perhaps the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history, the Dome Patrol. Mora and Ditka first met as opposing coaches on October 18, 1987, in Chicago, but neither coach had their full complement of players. NFL players went on strike that season, just as in 1982, but this time teams used replacement players for a three-game stretch until the regular players returned. 

In the third game of using replacement players, the Saints defeated the Bears in Soldier Field 19-17, on the strength of four interceptions and five sacks. One of Chicago's replacement quarterbacks was a young backup named Sean Payton, who would become the New Orleans coach 19 years later. New Orleans would sack their future coach twice, holding him to 3 of 11 passing and intercepting his last pass as a pro. Mora would lead New Orleans to their first-ever winning season and postseason appearance in 20 years of existence in 1987.

CREDIT: Nola.com

Mora and Ditka would have their full squads the next time these teams met, a wildcard playoff matchup between two of the NFL's best defenses on January 6, 1991, in Chicago. The Saints, bolstered by their intimidating ‘‘Dome Patrol’’ linebacking corps, had the league's 8th best defense. Chicago countered with a sixth-ranked defense that had forced a league-high 45 turnovers during the season. 

The Bears intercepted New Orleans quarterbacks Steve Walsh and John Fourcade three times and held them to just 11 of 34 passing, as a punchless Saints offense managed a paltry 193 total yards in a 16-6 Chicago victory.

CREDIT: NFL.com

Both teams returned to the playoffs in 1991, and the Saints again in ‘92, and would split two regular-season meetings against each other. But each franchise would deteriorate from contenders to rebuilding mode through the 1990s. The Bears fired Ditka after the ‘92 season, and Mora would resign his spot with New Orleans in 1996. The Saints would go 3-4 against the Bears during the decade, with a 1-3 record in Chicago. In 1997, Saints owner Tom Benson hired Mike Ditka hoping to revive his again floundering franchise.

Ditka's new squad would face his old one in Chicago on October 5, 1997. The Saints would rush for 137 yards but fail to convert a single 3rd down, get just 9 of 25 passing from quarterback Heath Shuler, and turn the ball over three times. Shuler came to life on one play, completing an 89-Yd touchdown pass to Randal Hill late in the fourth quarter for a 20-17 New Orleans win. 

Ditka and the Saints would play in Chicago again on October 3, 1999. This time, two touchdown passes from Shane Matthews to Curtis Conway in the final two minutes would lead the Bears to a 14-10 victory. New Orleans fired Ditka after the ‘99 season, following a 15-33 record in three seasons. It was the last season of his coaching career.

Oct 29, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees throws a pass against the Chicago Bears at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser vis USA TODAY NETWORK

New head coach Jim Haslett would lead a brief resurgence of the Saints in 2000. The Saints would play the Bears in the fifth game of the Haslett regime in Chicago on October 8, 2000. New Orleans got two receiving touchdowns from WR Joe Horn and 128 rushing yards from RB Ricky Williams as they rolled up 403 offensive yards in a 31-10 rout. 

Later in the decade, the Saints would hire former Chicago replacement quarterback Sean Payton as their head coach. Payton would also bring in a new quarterback, signing free agent Drew Brees, who played his college ball just two hours from Chicago at Purdue University.

CREDIT: Windy City Gridiron 

New Orleans has a 5-3 record against the Bears since 2006 with Payton at the helm, including a 3-3 record in Chicago after losing their first three. The first of those losses was in the NFC Championship Game on January 21, 2007, in Chicago, the first-ever conference title appearances by the Saints. 

Brees threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns to push his team within 2 points midway through the game, but the Bears would pull away in the second half to end the Saints dream season with a 39-14 victory. Chicago would pull out close home wins over New Orleans in the next two seasons before the Saints would rattle off the last five wins over them, the longest winning streak by either team in the series.

Oct 20, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Latavius Murray (28) rushes for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY 

Brees has averaged 304 yards passing in seven games against the Bears while with the Saints, throwing for 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He sat out last year's matchup between these two with an injury, a 36-25 New Orleans victory in Chicago on October 20, 2019. 

The Saints held the Bears to just 17 rushing yards in that game, heavily pressured Chicago QB Mitchell Trubisky, and held them without an offensive touchdown until the outcome had been decided. Offensively, New Orleans got 119 yards rushing from Latavius Murray and 9 receptions for 131 yards from WR Michael Thomas against a formidable Bear defense.

Oct 29, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs past Chicago Bears linebacker Pernell McPhee (92) for a touchdown during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY

This matchup features a New Orleans offense that averages 30 points per game against a Chicago defense that allows only 20 points per contest. The Bears bring heavy pressure with stars such as Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, and Robert Quinn and have an opportunistic secondary. They'll contend with a Saints offense who protects Brees well, attacks defenses with RBs Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara, who leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage and could have injured WR Michael Thomas back in the lineup.

Oct 20, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) throws the ball against New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago's offense has struggled, scoring just 19.7 points per outing, but has veteran QB Nick Foles and a crew of capable receivers to challenge defenses. The Saints counter with a talented defensive front that pressures opposing backfields, but a secondary that has played below its talent level and has been vulnerable to big plays.  Expect a rugged battle, as most have been in this series, as both teams fight to stay in the midst of a hotly contested NFC playoff race.