The New Orleans Saints are sitting at 1-5 on the season. While they have clawed and fought their way through the season, they have fallen just short on multiple occasions. Now the black and gold will travel
to Chicago and face the Bears as heavy underdogs. If New Orleans wants to come out and make a statement win, they’ll have to take advantage of these key matchups.
Kendre Miller vs. the Bears’ run defense
The Saints’ run game has struggled in recent weeks. New Orleans has failed to reach 90 rushing yards in three of their last four matchups and will be looking to get back on track against a weak Bears run defense. The Bears have allowed the eighth most rushing yards so far this season, and are the second worst in yards per carry allowed, allowing 5.7 yards an attempt.
Running back Alvin Kamara is dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered in the team’s Week 5 win over the New York Giants and could be limited as he works back. If Kamara is limited, it will be a big day for Kendre Miller, who may have a little extra motivation on Sunday. Miller has had issues with former Saints head coach Dennis Allen in the past and will want nothing more than to have a big game against the now Bears defensive coordinator. The third-year running back has shown a lot of promise in recent weeks, and Sunday may be his best game as a pro yet.
Saints secondary vs. Bears WRs
The Saints’ secondary has plenty of promising young pieces, but they have struggled immensely through six games. Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has yet to take the jump many were projecting, and opposing teams have taken advantage of the second-year cornerback. While rookie safety Jonas Sanker has been a pleasant surprise, rookie mistakes have still been an issue.
Chicago houses plenty of talent at wide receiver. From the veteran DJ Moore to a standout rookie in Luther Burden, there are plenty of playmakers for Caleb Williams. New Orleans has a bottom-10 pass defense through six weeks, and containing opposing wideouts has been a problem. The Saints will have to find a way to take away Williams’ best targets and force him into uncomfortable throws.
Ben Johnson vs. Kellen Moore
From the Saints’ first time seeing Dennis Allen since firing him in the middle of the 2025 season, to two quarterbacks from the 2025 NFL draft with a history together, Sunday’s matchup will have plenty of storylines to follow. But one of the least mentioned has been the two rookie head coaches going head-to-head.
Kellen Moore has had a rough start with the Saints through six weeks of the season, sitting at 1-5. While Moore hasn’t seen much success with New Orleans early on, he’s kept his team motivated and fighting. The Saints have been in dogfights in 5/6 of their games this season and remain competitive.
On the other side, Ben Johnson has found immediate success with the Bears, landing them with a 3-2 record and a top-10 offense. Johnson inherited a more impressive and filled-out roster and has been the perfect puzzle piece to lead Chicago, but that won’t stop Moore from wanting to prove himself, either. Moore and Johnson were two of the league’s best playcallers, but Johnson was given the more lavish and shiny job. The Bears’ head coach was the talk of the offseason, while many predicted Moore to be the first head coach fired midseason. While this won’t be a direct matchup, it will be one to monitor as each playcaller tries to one-up the other.
