Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints – Week 7 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (3-2) kicked a last second field goal Monday night to edge the Washington Commanders and win a third consecutive game to move above .500 mark. Chicago is hoping to ride that momentum into a home matchup Sunday afternoon against a Saints squad that has struggled all season long.
New Orleans (1-5) has won just one of their first six games in 2025 and it doesn’t seem like things are going to get much better the rest of the way. The defense has held its own so far, sitting in the middle of the pack with 327 yards allowed per game and opponents are scoring 26.7 points per game. Carl Granderson leads the team in sacks but veteran Cam Jordan is also still a force the pass rush.
The Saints defense has been opportunistic so far with a +4 turnover differential through six games. Defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry had a pair of interceptions last week in a losing effort against the Patriots.
Things have been pretty hard offensively in the Big Easy with an average of 18.6 points per game, fourth worst in the NFL. Quarterback Spencer Rattler occasionally shows flashes of ability but he is wildly inconsistent. The South Carolina product has thrown for just six touchdowns although he has only been intercepted once.
The Saints pass blocking has had some difficulties with 11 sacks allowed. Running back Alvin Kamara is as dangerous as ever out of the backfield and receiving. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are capable of doing damage if Rattler can get them the ball.
The Bears contest against New Orleans is the first of four against opponents with losing records. It’s a big opportunity for Ben Johnson’s team to put themselves squarely in the playoff race if they can perform well. Just because it looks easy on paper, however, doesn’t mean it will be, Chicago has to keep focus and take care of business and they can make things very interesting in 2025.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, October 19 at 12:00pm CT on FOX, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Keep feeding the ball to D’Andre Swift. Chicago’s primary running back had a terrific game against Washington with almost 200 combined receiving and rushing yards. Another performance even close to that will greatly improve the odds of victory.
- Better accuracy from Caleb Williams. The Bears young quarterback has been playing better this season but he is still missing some open receivers. If he hits a couple more open targets Sunday the offense could move to the next level.
- Don’t let Kamara beat you. The Saints have other weapons but the dynamic running back is by far the most dangerous. Keep him contained and it will be very hard for New Orleans to do anything on offense.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are favored by 4.5 points at home against the Saints Sunday. Vegas expects a decent amount of scoring with the over/under set at 46.5.
It’s Football Weather
There is a chance for rain at Soldier Field Sunday afternoon with a high temperature around 57 degrees. Wind is going to be a significant factor with 25 to 30 mile an hour gusts from the northwest.
My Prediction
Even with the challenging conditions, the Bears will have a good afternoon Sunday and overmatch the Saints winning by the score of 31-21 with Caleb Williams throwing a couple of touchdowns.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Saints-Bears game from the NFL.
