16. 2013 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at 16. 2006 NFC CHAMPION CHICAGO BEARS
16. 2006 CHICAGO BEARS
Record: 13-3
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 2nd
Def: 3rd
1st NFC North
d. Seahawks Div Rnd 27-24
d. Saints AFC Title 39-14
lost Super Bowl Colts 29-17
HC Lovie Smith OC Ron Turner DC Ron Rivera
Soldier Field: 45 degrees
Jeff Joniak/Tom Thayer
Offense
QB Rex Grossman 26
RB Thomas Jones 28
FB Jason McKie 26
WR Bernard Berrian 26
WR Muhsin Muhammad 33
TE Desmond Clark 29
LT John Tait 31
LG Ruben Brown 34
C Olin Kreutz 29 All Pro
RG Roberto Garza 27
RT Fred Miller 33
Defense
LDE Adewale Ogunleye 29
LDT Tommie Harris 23
RDT Tank Johnson 25
RDE Alex Brown 27
LLB Hunter Hillenmeyer 26
MLB Brian Urlacher 28 All Pro
RLB Lance Briggs 26
LCB Peanut Tillman 25
RCB Nathan Vasher 25
SS Chris Harris 24
FS Danieal Manning 24-R
K Robbie Gould 24 All Pro
P Brad Maynard 32
KR/PR Devin Hester 24 All Pro
Don't sleep on the '06 Bears, they're stuck in this play in game - but maybe they shouldn't be, 2nd best offense, 3rd best defense and two All Pros on special teams. That feels like a team that should have been in the field. 26 year old Rex Grossman had 23 scores and 20 picks; 28 year old Thomas Jones rushed for 1200 yards. 29 year old Olin Kreutz was an All Pro. 28 year old All Pro Brian Urlacher leads the defense. Robbie Gould and Devin Hester are both 24 and All Pro, Hester returned 5 kicks for scores.
16. 2013 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Record: 11-5
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 10th
Def: 4th
2nd NFC South
d. Eagles WC 26-24
Lost Seahawks 23-15
HC: Sean Payton OC Pete Carmichael DC Rob Ryan
Offense
QB Drew Brees 34
RB Pierre Thomas 29
FB Jed Collins 27
WR Marques Colston 30
WR Kenny Stills 21-R
TE Jimmy Graham 27 All Pro
LT Charles Brown
LG Ben Grubbs
C Brian de La Puente 28
RG Jahri Evans 30
RT Zach Strief 30
Defense
LDE Akiem Hicks 24
NT Brodrick Bunkley 30
RDE Cameron Jordan 24
LOLB Junior Galette 25
LILB David Hawthorne 28
RILB Curtis Lofton 27
ROLB Parys Haralson 29
LCB Jabari Greer 31
RCB Keenan Lewis 27
SS Kenny Vaccaro 22-R
FS Malcolm Jenkins 26
K Garrett Hartley 27
P Thomas Morstead 27
KR Travaris Cadet 24
PR Darren Sproles 30
The '19 and '20 Saints have already moved on, this Saints team qualified because of the 4th best defense from 2013. 24 year old Cam Jordan and 25 year old Junior Galette combined for 24.5 sacks. The offense is middling, Drew Brees is 34, 42 scores and a dozen picks - huge year from All Pro TE Jimmy Graham, he's 27, scored 16 times.
Winner moved into Region 8 to face the top seeds, the '04 Patriots. Let's go to Soldier Field for the kick.
1st Qtr
Saints start at the 24.
1/10 - Drew Brees opens with a 14 yard completion to Darren Sproles.
1/10 - Pierre Thomas is stacked up.
2/10 - Thomas into the line, again, nothing at all, lost 1.
3/11 - Brees again - finds Marques Colston, Colston picks it up - Colston is into Bear territory.
But the drive ends there -- Chicago will start at the 21.
3 and out including a Malcolm Jenkins sack.
Saints to start at their own 43.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Brees finds Sproles again, 9 more.
3/1 - Jed Collins picks it up.
1/10 - Jed Collins busting through the middle of the field - Collins is into the secondary, 23 yard gain and the Saints are at the Chicago 24.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Sproles gets 4. Another third down.
3/6 - Brees to Pierre Thomas, he's going to make the first down - get all the way to the 9 yard line for the first and goal.
1/goal - Brees to Thomas again, Thomas knocked out of bounds at the 4.
2/goal - Brees is sacked by Tommie Harris, coming right up the middle, third down and goal from the 8.
3/goal - Brees - End Zone - Robert Meachem -- TOUCHDOWN SAINTS -- Brees fires a strike to Meachem -- the Saints are into the end zone.
Chicago starts at the 31.
1/10 - Thomas Jones goes for 6.
2/4 - Jones gets 11 more.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Rex Grossman going deep - Grossman finds Bernard Berrian for 47 yards - big shot - Bears are at the Saints 5 yard line on the big Grossman strike.
It ends there - Gould chip shot. 7-3 Saints.
Saints at the 23. There's time for a Brees 11 yard pass to Jimmy Graham and the qtr ends.
2nd Qtr: Saints 7 Bears 3
Good start for NO, they get a TD drive and now have first down at their own 34.
They lose 5 yards on 3 plays, Lance Briggs getting the sack.
Bears will take over at their own 27.
1/10 - Jones. 6 yards.
2/4 - First carry for Cedric Benson, 7 yards. First down
1/10 - Rex Grossman looking downfield again - Desmond Clark -- 25 yards - Rex feeling it a little bit now, Bears at the NO 35.
1/10 - Jones gets 1
2/9 - Incomplete
3/9 - Grossman picks it up - Muhsin Muhamman right at the sticks, that's a 14 yard gain - Bears at the NO 20 yard line.
That's it - the drive ends at the 13, another short FG and the Saints lead is now 7-6.
Saints at the 21.
3 and out.
Bears at the 42. 6:42 left in the half.
1/10 -- Rex - Rex again looking downfield -- Rex again to Desmond Clark -- thats a 40 yard gainer - All the way to the Saints 18 yard line! Another big shot from Rex.
But - again - that's where it ends -- Gould hits his 3rd short FG of the day, Chicago takes its first lead.
Saints at the 29 with a little over 4 left in the half.
And another 3 and out -- Chicago has solved this Saints offense right now.
Bears starting at their own 25.
1/10 - Grossman - Muhammad - 16 yards, that's the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Thomas Jones busts one. Busts one -- 33 yards -- Bears stopping the clock at the Saints 26.
The next 3 plays lose 7 yards, Cameron Jordan with the big sack - that leaves a long FG for Gould...and he misses it....so at a minute left, Saints will take over at their own 40 yard line.
They won't go anywhere - Brian Urlacher gets Chicago's third sack of the half and we head to the locker room, Bears up 9-7
3rd Qtr: Bears 9 Saints 7
The Bears defense really tightened up after the early Saints TD, just not permitting much at all - 3 Gould FGs and Chicago's up 2.
Bears start at the 32.
1/10 - Thomas Jones for 3.
2/7 - Incomplete
3/7 - Grossman to Clark - picks it up - Bears now at the 44.
1/10 - Jones stacked up.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Grossman looking downfield -- Mark Bradley -- big shot - 35 yards - Rex Grossman really successful going downfield today - all the way to the Saints 21 yard line and it's a first down.
....and, again, that's it. Gould hits his 4th FG of the day. 12-7
Saints at the 37.
1/10 - Pierre Thomas pounds out a 23 yard run - Saints at the Chicago 40.
1/10 - Brees to Colston for 8.
2/2 - Incomplete
3/2 - Mark Ingram picks it up. Saints at the Chicago 26.
But the drive ends there -- the Saints now hit the FG and it's 12-10 Chicago.
Bears to start at the 34. They lose 10 yards on the drive, Junior Galette with the sack.
Saints to start at their own 43.
3 and out - Alex Brown with the sack, 4 Chicago sacks on the day.
Bears to take over at their own 29, 3:40 left in the third. They get a first down on a 9 yard Berrian reception - but it ends here, Malcolm Jenkins gets his second sack of the day.
Great Bears punt - rolls all the way to the Saints 9 yard line.
One play before the end of the qtr -- Brees - looking to Colston -- Picked Off by Peanut Tillman -- Tillman snatches the ball - and Tillman picks his way all the way to the Saints 3 yard line! Thats the big play - Peanut Tillman intercepts Drew Brees on the final play of the third quarter -- the Bears have the lead and the ball at the NO 3.
4th Qtr: Bears 12 Saints 10
4 Gould FG for Chicago - they open the qtr with a first and goal inside the 5.
1/goal - Incomplete
2/goal - Cedric Benson is stacked up - and now its 3rd and goal at the 3.
3/goal - Grossman, rolling out - firing - Berrian -- TOUCHDOWN BEARS - Rex Grossman to Bernard Berrian, 3 yard TD pass - the Bears lead 19-10.
Saints at the 21.
1/10 - Thomas gets 3.
2/7 - Mark Ingram breaks one -- Mark Ingram busts out a 48 yard run -- the Saints are at the Chicago 28 yard line.
1/10 - Brees - Colston -- 10 more and the Saints have a first down at the 18.
1/10 - Brees - Jed Collins -- 10 more - and now it is a first and goal at the 8 yard line.
1/goal - Brees to Sproles, Sproles picking his way all the way to the 1 yard line.
2/goal -- Ingram.....just short, Ingram at the goal line. Third and goal.
3/goal - Play action -- Brees - Colston -- End zone --- Incomplete, batted away.
4th and goal. Down 9, gotta go and they will. 4th and inches.
4/goal -- Mark Ingram - disappears into the line -- Ingram.....HE IS SHORT - MARK INGRAM STOPPED AT THE GOAL LINE AND THE BEARS WILL TAKE OVER!
That could be the dagger - a goal line stand by the Chicago Bears - they take over just outside of their own goal line with 9 minutes left and a 9 point lead - big, big stop by the Bear defense.
3 and out. Saints will open at the Chicago 48, which is pretty good for the Saints, given their spot. 7 min left.
The Saints get a first down, Breesn to Colston for 14 -- but it ends there -- and Hartley....misses....the FG, we now are under 5 to go - Chicago is up 19-10 and they start at their own 34.
3 and out including a Jonathan Vilma sack.
Saints take over with 3 minutes left in the game, they need 2 scores.
Saints at the 31.
1/10 - Brees is sacked for the 5th time, Tank Johnson gets him and the Saints have to stop the clock.
1/10 - Brees finds Kenny Stills, his first catch of the say - 26 yards and NO is across midfield.
1/10- Incomplete
2/10 - Brees in trouble - escapes, gets 2.
3/8 - Incomplete
4th down with 2:23 left. NO needs to find 2 scores.
4/8 - Brees to Sproles, he makes his way for 11 yards, Saints stop the clock again, 2:11.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Brees to Stills -- 16 yards - that's a first down to the 16 yard line at the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Short pass to Thomas, he's out of bounds after 2 yards and it's 4th and 8 with 90 seconds left.
4/8 - Incomplete
And that's it - Bears will run it out and Chicago moves into the field.
Final: Bears 19 Saints 10
5 sacks and the big Tillman intercepion are the difference here, Chicago with the big defensive effort and they will head to NE. Just 14 first downs for the Bears in the win.
Grossman: 11 for 30, 212 yds, 1 TD
Brees: 18 for 34, 185 yds, 1 TD/1 INT
Jones: 19 carries, 95 yds
Ingram: 8 carries, 55 yds
Berrian: 3 catches, 60 yds, 1 TD
Colston: 5 catches, 53 yds
Jenkins: 2 sacks
Tillman: 6 tackles/INT
Player of the Game: Peanut Tillman
