To me, the most encouraging thing about the Saints’ chances today involves the fact that Drew Brees’ ability to get rid of the football quickly is going to neutralize the Bears’ pass rush. He doesn’t just stand back there and hold on to the ball, and so Chicago may not even be putting a lot of blitzes into the game plan.

 And even though the Saints have, as a team, averaged less than four yards a carry on offense, you know that McAllister and Reggie Bush have the ability to take the ball a long way.

I don’t see the Bears’ defense as such a force anymore. Going back to the game with the Rams, when they were bailed out by a couple of Devin Hester punt returns, the Bears have surrendered 26 points a game. Clearly the absence of a couple of star players has had a lot to do with it. To me, the Bears have not been overly impressive for quite some time,  so they’re a little different team than they were earlier in the season. They haven’t taken a nose dive a la Denver, but at the same time they’ve got a QB who can literally give the game away with fumbles or INT’s, while the Saints don’t have such a guy under center.