NEW ORLEANS _ If there were categories on the Superdome scoreboard for resolve and grit, perhaps the Bears would have upset the Saints on Sunday.
Playing from behind almost all game against one of the NFL's hottest teams in one of the loudest stadiums, the Bears clawed to keep pace.
Injuries mounted. Mistakes tripped them up. A pivotal official's decision went against them. Still, quarterback Mitch Trubisky had the ball in Saints territory in the final two minutes with a chance to win and ignite a turbo-booster under this season.
Alas, all that counted were the points: Saints 20, Bears 12.
Their inability to generate and sustain the offense outweighed their collective determination and a second-half defensive surge.
"We just need to become more consistent," Trubisky said.
Trubisky missed his chance to prove he could spark the passing attack while playing from behind. Yes, he was more proficient downfield in infrequent flashes. But when they needed only 43 yards for a touchdown on the final possession, the winning moment escaped him.
On second-and-15 from the Saints' 48, he threw high and behind Tre McBride on an in-cutting route. Rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore easily intercepted it.
"I had to get it over the linebacker, and I just left it a little too high," Trubisky said. "We had what we wanted. It was a good call. I missed a little bit. I've made that throw hundreds of times. So, just learn from it, get better, and (I've) just got to bring it down a little bit to give your receiver a better chance."
Trubisky completed only 14 of 32 passes for 164 yards and was sacked twice. The Saints tested him on third downs by being creative with their pressures, sending rushers from different sides of the formation.
His performance would have been viewed differently if officials upheld a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Miller on third-and-10 in the third quarter. He perfectly placed a throw on a corner route to cut into the Saints' 14-3 lead.
But it was overturned by video review, a decision most Bears disputed amid renewed criticism of the NFL's overcooked rules about what constitutes a catch. Even worse, Miller dislocated his left knee on the play, an injury as deflating as it was gruesome.
The defense measured up quite well to quarterback Drew Brees and the balanced Saints offense. Defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard and safety Adrian Amos each took the ball away from running back Mark Ingram in the fourth quarter to keep the Bears' pulse beating.
After the Saints took a 14-3 second-quarter lead by gashing the Bears on an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, linebacker Pernell McPhee gathered the defense on the sideline for a pep talk. The drive included three rushes for at least 10 yards, and the Bears weren't tackling as aggressively as usual.
"They were gaming us with hurry-up offense, screen and run," McPhee said. "I was just telling everybody to slow down the game and just breathe."
They didn't allow another touchdown.
"Our whole mentality was not to give up, not to get tired and not to get stiff," linebacker Danny Trevathan said. "Our defense is some hungry savages out there."
The kicking game tilted the outcome in the Saints' favor. On the opening series, the Saints settled for a 32-yard field goal on fourth-and-5. But cornerback Kyle Fuller was penalized for being offside, which gave the Saints a first down. They scored a touchdown on the next play.
Then, near the end of the first half, Bears kicker Connor Barth missed wide left from 48 yards. Barth is now 3-for-7 this season on field goals from 40 yards or longer.
