Bears Stun Saints in OT Win

CHICAGO — Robbie Gould and the Chicago Bears handed Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints another devastating loss at Soldier Field.

Gould kicked the tying field goal at the end of regulation and booted a 35-yarder in overtime to lift the Chicago Bears to a 27-24 victory on Thursday night, giving their playoff hopes a boost.

After leaving Chicago with season-ending losses the past two years, the Saints looked as if they were ready to end that trend. Instead, their slim playoff hopes took another blow.

Brees hit Marques Colston for an 11-yard touchdown pass with just over 3 minutes left in regulation to give New Orleans its first lead at 24-21 but Gould's 28-yard field goal as time expired sent the game into overtime.

The Bears won the coin toss, and got another big break when the Saints' Roman Harper bumped Devin Hester on a deep pass down the middle to set Chicago up at the 15. After Orton stumbled back and put the ball in the middle of the field, Gould ended it with a 35-yarder.

The Bears still need plenty of help to reach the postseason.

The Bears (8-6) are a half-game behind NFC North leader Minnesota, but the Vikings hold the tiebreaker. Chicago also is a half-game out of a wild-card spot.

It was another rough night in Chicago for New Orleans (7-7), which lost the NFC championship game here two years ago and saw its slim postseason hopes vanish with a loss on the final day last season at Soldier Field. The last-place Saints still have a shot at the wild card but can forget about catching NFC South leader Carolina.

Brees, challenging Dan Marino's single-season yards passing record, was 24-of-43 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He looked more like himself late in the game after a miserable first half. Harassed by the defense, Brees was just 10-of-24 with 93 yards and a 49.5 rating in the first two quarters as Chicago grabbed a 21-7 lead.

Danieal Manning returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown and set up another one with a 52-yarder early in the second quarter as the Bears grabbed a 14-7 lead. Kyle Orton's 6-yard scramble in the closing minute of the half made it a 14-point game.

With their second straight win and third in four games, the Bears finally appear to be hitting their stride after a convincing 23-10 win over Jacksonville on Sunday. They'll try to make it three in a row — something they haven't done since the 2006 Super Bowl season — at Green Bay a week from Monday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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