NFL week 7 sees the 1-5 New Orleans Saints traveling to face the 3-2 Chicago Bears. The Saints come into this game at 1-5, with four of those losses by just one score. Chicago enters with a 3-2 mark, winning their last two by just one point. Some have billed this as a ”revenge game” for the Saints against ex-coach Dennis Allen, now the Bears defensive coordinator. It’s the matchup on the other side of the ball that may more determine this game’s outcome.
New Orleans ranks 18th in total defense. It’s not a bad ranking, but the Saints have consistently had issues against the run, the pass, and on third downs. This is especially the case in crucial situations, often helping to create the difference in close outcomes. Under new head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago has already shown significant offensive improvement over last season’s unit. The Bears come into this week ranked 14th in total yardage and 10th in points scored. Containing quarterback Caleb Williams will be a challenge, but the Saints must also stop the Bears from having success on the ground. It’s there that we focus this analysis.
Bears Rushing Attack
- 110.8 yards per game (18th)
- 4.1 per carry (20th)
- 4 touchdowns (18th)
Six-year veteran running back D’Andre Swift has proven to be a valuable threat in the Chicago attack. After 959 rushing yards in 2024, his first year with the team, Swift has 295 yards on the ground and an average of 4.2 per carry through five contests. He’s coming off a season-best 108 rushing yards in last week’s win over Washington and is a back equally effective inside or outside the numbers. Swift has been limited in practice all week after sustaining a groin injury against Washington. He’s officially listed as questionable against the Saints but is almost a sure bet to play.
Chicago has few options if Swift is limited. Rookie seventh round backup Kyle Monangai has only 22 carries for 81 yards while third-year pro Roschon Johnson has rushed only once for 6 yards. The Saints will need to be wary of quarterback Caleb Williams and his ability to make plays with his legs. Williams doesn’t often run by design, but has elusive capabilities once he does take off with the ball. After 489 yards rushing as a rookie, Williams is second on the Bears with 108 yards on the ground this season.
Chicago continues to have problems giving Williams a clean pass pocket. However, the Bears have a physical offensive line capable of establishing the run. They prefer to run to their right, where guard Jonah Jackson and tackle Darnell Mooney set a physical tone. Experienced center Drew Dalman and left guard Joe Thuney have also done a nice job getting inside push for Swift.
Saints Run Defense
- 114 yards per game (16th)
- 3.8 per carry (7th)
- 4 touchdowns (9th)
One area where Brandon Staley and the defense have shown vast improvements over the 2024 squad is against the run. There have been some inconsistencies, especially in key situations, but overall it’s a big leap forward from last year’s abysmal performance. It starts up front, where Bryan Bresee is a constant disruption while Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, and Jonah Williams have done a decent job at clogging interior running lanes. On the edge, Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson have stood up well at the point of attack and prevented most runs from bouncing outside.
Demario Davis, to nobody’s surprise, remains the emotional leader of the defense and it’s most consistent performer. Davis leads the Saints with 51 tackles, including 5 for loss, while setting the physical tone for the defense and remaining ferocious in pursuit of the ball. Fellow linebacker Pete Werner is a solid run defender in the tackle box and close to the line of scrimmage. Werner is second on the team with 46 tackles, though more plays behind the line of scrimmage is needed.
New Orleans has a few defensive backs active and effective in run support. Alontae Taylor has the physicality of an extra linebacker. Safeties Justin Reid and rookie Jonas Sanker are each effective and aggressive inside the tackle box. Corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley have done a solid job of cutting down runners when they get outside to prevent extra yardage.
Caleb Williams needs to be contained by the Saints and forced into mistakes to get a win. With that said, New Orleans needs to strip Williams and the Bears of their running game to make them one-dimensional.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: In the trenches: Saints must wall off Bears run game in Week 7 matchup
