NEW ORLEANS — After a short and melodramatic week following a Sunday night game, the Bears will kick off at noon Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. A look at three keys to beating the 4-4 Saints:
Run the ball
It’s a focus every week, but running the ball consistently is the surest way to keep the Saints defense at bay. They allow 5.6 yards per pass, the third-best mark in the league behind the Ravens and Chiefs. Staying out of third-and-long will keep quarterback Tyson Bagent from having to deal with a loud crowd at the line of scrimmage.
Stop Shaheed
Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed is one of the league’s best deep threats. Quarterback Derek Carr’s four longest passes this year have been passes to him; last week he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass, running 21.1 mph, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That was the second-fastest speed anyone reached last week.
“(Shaheed) lately has been running past people,” cornerbacks coach Jon Hoke said.
Also, Kamara
The Bears allow the fewest yards per carry of any team in the NFL. The Chargers found a workaround last week, throwing seven passes to running back Austin Ekeler for 94 yards. He caught a 39-yard touchdown, too, when Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards failed to tackle him in the backfield.
Since returning from suspension Oct. 1, Saints running back Alvin Kamara has totaled 39 catches for 228 yards. He’ll do the same thing as Ekeler — if the Bears let him.
