Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week (against the New Orleans Saints)?

I always like the Chicago Bears. But here come three additional reasons, and a prediction!

(1) I know the NFL world is enamored with advanced stats, but I still cling to some old school numbers. The Saints have been competitive, even at 1-5, but they have also played four of their first six games at home. They have a -6-point differential in those games. Their differential is -43 in their two road games, and Spencer Rattler struggled in both Buffalo and Seattle. If the Saints deliver a big performance on the road, it will be a surprise.

(2) The Kindness of the Schedule. So often, in this league, momentum is determined by who teams play and when they play them. The Bears are coming off one of their most exuberant road wins in years, and they are rewarded by returning home to face a Saints team that is fending off rumors about trading their best offensive weaponry. I would describe recent Soldier Field crowds as tenuously optimistic. They want to believe. But, in their hearts, they don’t. That tenuousness will disappear on Sunday. Folks believe things are changing. If this were one of the next two games – at Baltimore, at Cincinnati – I could foresee a letdown from this young program. I don’t see one coming on Sunday.

(3) The Bears have now put a dominant run game performance on tape. That will dramatically open up the play action opportunities moving forward, and that is Ben Johnson’s play-calling superpower. The only teams in the NFL allowing a higher passer rating to opposing quarterbacks than the Saints through six weeks are the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys. This will be the best performance of the season from Caleb Williams.

Chicago Bears 31, New Orleans Saints 20