Scoring Plays:
1Q - NO - Drew Brees to Michael Thomas 11 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | CHI 0, NO 7
End of Quarter Score - Chicago Bears 0, New Orleans Saints 7
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2Q - CHI - Cairo Santos 36 yd FG GOOD | CHI 3, NO 7
End of Quarter Score - Chicago Bears 3, New Orleans Saints 7
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3Q - NO - Drew Brees to Latavius Murray 6 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | CHI 3, NO 14
End of Quarter Score - Chicago Bears 3, New Orleans Saints 14
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4Q - NO - Alvin Kamara 3 yd TD rush (PAT Good) | CHI 3, NO 21
4Q - CHI - Mitchell Trubisky to Jimmy Graham 19 yd TD pass (PAT Not Attempted) | CHI 9, NO 21
Final Score - Chicago Bears 9, New Orleans Saints 21
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Hello Who Dats & Who Datettes and welcome to the Saints Wild Card Game Thread

It is finally here... the 2nd season... the postseason... the climb to become Super Bowl Champion.

Of course, as the 2 seed, in past seasons the Saints would've been home this week waiting to see who would be coming to the Superdome for the Divisional Round. But it's the end of the 2020 season and the NFL needs more money, so the Saints must play this week.

And with that, the NFL deities have made this week's opponent a team the Saints have already prepared for once this season, the Chicago Bears.

The Bears team coming to New Orleans today, however, is not the same as the team we played in Chicago back in week 8. Nick Foles is out and Mitch Trubisky is in and the Bears team that was 5-2 before the Saints beat them in overtime on November 1st lost 6 of their final 9 games and backed into the postseason thanks to the Cardinals losing to the Rams last week as the Bears were losing to the Packers.

The Saints are trying to get over some recent playoff ills, having lost 3 out of their last 4 postseason games, including 2 straight at home. If there's one playoff record this team doesn't want, it's matching the infamous 3 straight home losses in the playoffs of the Mora years (1987-Vikings, 1992-Falcons, 1993-Eagles). One thing going for this team coming in is health with several key weapons returning either from the COVID list or injured reserve. Can a relatively healthy Saints team overwhelm a wounded Bears team that's limping into the playoffs?

As noted above, the last time these 2 teams met was in week 8 on November 1st. Both teams held double digit leads with the Bears taking an early 13-3 advantage while the Saints scored 20 straight to claim a 23-13 lead only for the Bears to tie it and force overtime, where the Saints won it on a Wil Lutz 35 yard field goal. Alvin Kamara had a day with 163 total yards on 21 touches and Drew Brees threw for 280 yards & 2 TDs in the win.

LET'S SEND THE BEARS INTO HIBERNATION AND CLINCH OUR RIGHTFUL SPOT IN THE DIVISIONAL ROUND!!

Team Ranks: (Category: CHI | NO)
Offensive-
Yards Per Game: 26th (331.4) | 12th (376.4)
Rushing: 25th (102.9) | 6th (141.6)
Passing: 22nd (228.4) | 19th (234.9)
Scoring: 22nd (23.3) | 5th (30.1)

Defensive-
Yards Per Game: 11th (344.9) | 4th (310.9)
Rushing: 15th (113.4) | 4th (93.9)
Passing: 12th (231.6) | 5th (217.0)
Scoring: 14th (23.1) | 5th (21.1)

Injury Report: (Players only currently on the 53-man roster who have a game designation from the Friday injury report listed here)
CHI-
Buster Skrine (Concussion) OUT
Darnell Mooney (Ankle) OUT
Roquan Smith (Elbow) OUT
Jaylon Johnson (Shoulder) QUESTIONABLE
Josh Woods (Toe) QUESTIONABLE

NO- (Nick Easton was moved to injured reserve and will not appear here)
Trey Hendrickson (Neck) OUT

Weather: Just 3,000 screaming fans in the Superdome will be the only concern.

Uniforms: Playoffs in the Dome means it's time to be back in all black

2020 Final Standings:
NFC South:
Saints 12-4
Buccaneers 11-5
Panthers 5-11
Falcons 4-12

NFC North:
Packers 13-3
Bears 8-8
Vikings 7-9
Lions 5-11

Betting Line: Saints (-10) O/U 47.5

Want to listen to Zach Strief, Deuce McAllister, & Steve Geller instead of Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, & Tracy Wolfson (CBS); Hannah Storm & Andrea Kremer (Amazon Prime); or Noah Eagle & Nate Burleson (Nickelodeon)?
Find your local Saints Radio Network affiliate at this link

Today's Officials: (Playoffs use mixed "All-Star" crews of the highest graded officials at their positions. The name in parenthesis will be the head referee that official worked with during this season)
Referee: #55 Alex Kemp

Umpire: #64 Dan Ferrell (Tony Corrente)
Down Judge: #8 Dana McKenzie (Alex Kemp)
Line Judge: #98 Greg Bradley (Alex Kemp)
Field Judge: #42 Nate Jones (Brad Rogers)
Side Judge: #107 Dave Hawkshaw (Craig Wrolstad)
Back Judge: #93 Scott Helverson (Clete Blakeman)
Replay Official: Mike Chase
Replay Assistant: Alton James
**Alternate Officials - (R-29) Adrian Hill, (U-131) Mark Pellis, (LJ-101) Carl Johnson, (SJ-86) Jimmy Buchanan, & (BJ-82) Jimmy Russell.**

Inactive Lists:
CHI-
WR Darnell Mooney
CB Buster Skrine
CB Jaylon Johnson
LB Roquan Smith
OL Lachavious Simmons
DL Daniel McCullers
LB Trevis Gipson

NO-
CB Ken Crawley
OL Derrick Kelly
WR Austin Carr
DE Trey Hendrickson
DL Malcolm Roach
RB Ty Montgomery
WR Juwan Johnson

This post was edited on 1/12/21 at 11:03 am