It took some patience for the New Orleans Saints offense to find its footing at Soldier Field, but it paid off when quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected with wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. on a 45-yard pass from midfield. The big play followed several drops by Ginn, who managed to get open against the Chicago Bears secondary but struggled to secure the ball when it was sent his way.
The 45-yard gain for Ginn set the Saints offense up at Chicago’s three-yard line, putting running back Latavius Murray in great position to rumble into the end zone and extend New Orleans’ lead to 19-10, early in the third quarter. See it for yourself:
Beyond helping put points on the board, Ginn’s big catch helped reverse a troubling trend. In the first half, wide receiver Michael Thomas caught 7 of his 9 targets to gain 89 yards — pretty good numbers. But every other Saints player looked to by Bridgewater combined for 7 catches on 14 targets, and just 48 yards. But once Ginn and Murray capped off the drive to open the second half, non-Thomas receivers accounted for 8 receptions (on 17 passes) and 93 yards. The Saints are at their best when they have multiple options in the passing game. Hopefully they can keep this energy going forward.
