In a disappointing 26-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 7, the New Orleans Saints struggled to find their rhythm at Soldier Field, with quarterback Spencer Rattler and star wideout Chris Olave showing flashes of brilliance amid costly mistakes. Despite two touchdown connections between Rattler and Olave, the Saints’ offense faltered under pressure from Chicago’s league-leading takeaway defense.
At the same time, the defensive unit failed to contain key Bears plays early on. The game exposed ongoing challenges for New Orleans, from red-zone inefficiencies to defensive lapses, as they fell to a Bears squad powered by a growing Caleb Williams and a stout defensive front. Here are four observations based on the New Orleans Saints’ performance in their 26-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.
1. Spencer Rattler’s Mixed Performance Under Pressure: Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 32 passes for 233 yards, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions, resulting in a 66.3 passer rating. His touchdowns included a 21-yard pass to Chris Olave and a 57-yard deep ball to Olave, showcasing his ability to connect on big plays. However, his three interceptions, including a costly pick by Nahshon Wright inside the Saints’ 30, highlighted decision-making struggles against the Bears’ aggressive defense, which leads the league in takeaways per game. Rattler’s four sacks for 24 yards further indicate the Bears’ pass rush, led by Montez Sweat, disrupted his rhythm, contributing to the Saints’ offensive woes.
2. Chris Olave’s Limited Impact Despite Key Plays: Chris Olave, despite a hip injury, managed two touchdown receptions (21 and 57 yards) from Rattler, demonstrating his ability to be a deep threat and red-zone target. However, his overall stat line was surprisingly quiet, with zero total offensive yards outside those scoring plays, as noted in the sports card above. This suggests the Bears’ secondary, bolstered by T.J. Edwards and Kyler Gordon, effectively neutralized Olave for most of the game, limiting his involvement in the passing game despite his 39 receptions for 342 yards on the season entering the matchup.
3. Offensive Unit’s Struggles with Execution and Red-Zone Efficiency: The Saints’ offense, ranked 24th overall, 19th in rushing, and 22nd in passing, failed to find consistency. Early in the game, the offense managed only four net yards on 19 plays, with Rattler’s fumble and interceptions stalling drives. Despite a late rally with two touchdown drives led by Rattler to Olave, the unit struggled in the red zone, a recurring issue this season (24th in red-zone defense conversion at 66.7%).
The offense’s inability to capitalize on opportunities, coupled with a pass-heavy approach under Kellen Moore, was evident as they failed to exploit the Bears’ weak run defense (156.4 rushing yards allowed per game). Alvin Kamara’s limited impact (31 rushing yards in the prior game) and Taysom Hill’s minimal contribution further hampered the ground game.
4. Defensive Unit’s Early Struggles and Missed Opportunities: The Saints’ defense, ranked 18th overall and 25th in points allowed, started poorly, conceding a field goal and a touchdown to D’Andre Swift on Chicago’s early drives. They allowed 26 points, consistent with their season average of 25 points per game over the last five outings. While rookie cornerback Quincy Riley secured his first NFL interception against Caleb Williams, the defense failed to capitalize on this turnover, as the offense sputtered afterward.
The unit also struggled with discipline, giving up four first downs via penalties, and couldn’t contain key Bears plays, like a 26-yard catch-and-run by DJ Moore. Facing a Bears offense led by a growing Caleb Williams (1,179 passing yards, nine TDs on the season), the Saints’ young secondary, including Kool-Aid McKinstry and Jonas Sanker, showed promise but lacked the consistency to stop Chicago’s momentum.
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