The puzzle is starting to come together. After winning their Week 17 matchup handily, the New Orleans Saints are looking towards the first round of the playoffs, where they’re slotted to play the Chicago Bears in the Wild-Card Round. The Saints have clinched the No. 2 playoff seed, while the Bears are sneaking in as the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
Chicago has been a common opponent for the Saints in recent years. They’ve met in three of the last four years, with New Orleans winning each time. The Bears haven’t beaten the Saints since 2008, and they haven’t won in New Orleans since 2005, before Sean Payton was hired to coach the team.
That’s not to suggest the Saints should feel too confident about this matchup. They’ve proven themselves that anything can happen in the playoffs, even against a mediocre opponent like the 8-8 Bears quarterbacked by a draft bust in Mitchell Trubisky. New Orleans must prepare to give its best shot when both clubs take the field next week.
And when that is remains to be decided. With the rest of the playoff picture still taking shape, the exact kickoff times for each matchup is still up in the air. With star running back Alvin Kamara on the COVID-19 reserve list and ineligible to return until Sunday, Jan. 10, the Saints have to be hoping to avoid a Saturday tilt. It’s a storyline worth watching until the NFL announces its full slate of postseason matchups.
