CHICAGO — Although both teams came into Monday night’s game with 5-8 records, the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears clearly are going in opposite directions.
By winning 31-15 in a game they dominated by a wide margin, the Saints moved into first place in the woebegone NFC South. New Orleans can clinch the division title and earn a home playoff game by winning its two remaining games, at home against the Atlanta Falcons, then at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bears, meanwhile, remained in last place in the NFC North and are closing in on a top-10 choice when the 2015 draft is held next spring, coincidentally, in Chicago.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes while completing 29 of 36 attempts for 375 yards, a nice turnaround from the his performance last week in a 41-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“We responded well as a team,” Brees said. “We were embarrassed by last week. We’re better than that.”
Chicago should be embarrassed, too.
The 16-point margin really understated the difference in the two teams. The Bears were outgained 381 yards to 119 in the first three quarters and showed almost no life against the NFL’s 31st-ranked defensive team.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who leads the NFL in lost turnovers, threw three interceptions and was sacked seven times. Cutler, who has thrown 18 interceptions and lost six fumbles this season, produced more than half of his passing yardage — 107 of 194 — in the fourth quarter.
“Offensively, we didn’t play well,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “We were very inconsistent. We had no passing game. We had seven sacks. Certainly not even close to being an offense that could compete through four quarters, although we finished the game.”
New Orleans squandered three good scoring opportunities inside the Chicago 30-yard line in the first half but still led 24-0 before the Bears came somewhat to life in the final quarter.
Brees threw touchdown passes of 8 and 7 yards to reserve tight end Josh Hill and a 9-yarder to wideout Marques Colston. Running back Mark Ingram ran 15 yards for the other New Orleans touchdown.
However, one Saints drive ended on a fumble by wide receiver Nick Toon inside the Bears’ 5-yard line, another was stymied by a fumbled snap and a third by a third-down sack.
“We really had some good field position early in the game and didn’t get the points we should have had to show for it,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.
The Bears ran just two plays across the 50-yard line and none beyond the Saints 46 until the fourth quarter, when Cutler threw touchdown passes to wide receiver Marquess Wilson and, in the final 30 seconds, to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
“We were not in unison tonight collectively on the offensive side of the ball, and that starts with me,” Trestman said.
Actually, the Bears have problems on both sides of the ball. They are assured of their first losing season since 2009, and they have permitted the most points in the NFL.
Despite their losing record, the Saints are in prime position to wrap up a playoff berth. The oddity for New Orleans is that it lost its past four games in the Superdome, the site of Sunday’s matchup with the Falcons.
“When you’re not playing well, it doesn’t matter where you play,” Payton said.
A sentiment, no doubt, with which the Bears would agree.
NOTES: Chicago tried a fake punt in the second quarter and came up a yard short, but the gambit would not have stood even if it worked because the Bears had only six players on the line of scrimmage. They only had 10 on the field. … The Bears were without their regular kicker, Robbie Gould, for the second game in a row because of a quadriceps injury. … Chicago LB D.J. Williams, who was replacing injured Lance Briggs, also missed the game due to injury. Christian Jones filled in. … Bears S Chris Conte was out due to a back injury. He was replaced by Brock Vereen. … The Saints benched starting CB Corey White and replaced him with Terrence Frederick, who made his first NFL start … With undrafted rookie Ryan Groy replacing injured Michael Ola at left guard, the Bears started their eighth combination on the offensive line.