CHICAGO, Ill. - After a scoreless, soggy, and turnover-laced first period, the Saints bookended the second quarter with touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead on the Chicago Bears into the halftime break on Monday night.
Josh Hill and Marques Colston both caught scoring passes from Drew Brees, the first coming one second into the second quarter, the latter coming with 38 seconds left in it.
Hill snagged an 8 yard touchdown from Brees to cap an 84 yard drive as the second quarter began.
Pierre Thomas scampered into Bears territory on a 31 yard screen play, and Chicago's corner Kyle Fuller would extend the drive when he interfered with Jimmy Graham, pushing the visitors 17 yards to the Bears 8.
Drew Brees completed 18-of-20 for 226 yards passing and two touchdowns, clinching his 9th straight season with 4,000 passing yards, the best mark of any man in pro football's history.
He completed 14 straight passes in the second session, and his would-be 15th fell from Jimmy Graham's arm inside the Bears 12. Colston caught the next to the 9 with 43 seconds left before converting the 1st-and-Goal six seconds later.
New Orleans (5-8) is seeking a postseason berth from the NFC South, for which they will play when they host division-undefeated Atlanta on Dec. 21.
The Bears, on a two-game losing skid, have been eliminated from the playoffs for the fourth straight year and the seventh out of eight campaigns.
Both sides exchanged turnovers on consecutive plays to open the contest at wet Soldier Field. Jay Cutler's third pass of the night was intercepted by Patrick Robinson, and Drew Brees' first pass, to Nick Toon, hobbled to the Bears 3 before being fumbled and lost.
Jay Cutler was nearly intercepted on consecutive pass attempts when the Bears took the field to open the second. Saints coach Sean Payton challenged and lost the first of those, a bouncing toss that wound up in the hands of the defense, though was found after a review to hit the ground.
His 3rd-and-10 attempt for Alshon Jeffery was tipped away on a leaping defensive play from cornerback Keenan Lewis.
Cutler had 10 net yards passing to that point, also suffering two sacks in as many snaps. He went down a third time, finishing the half 6-of-14 for 56 yards.
His 17th interception, the most in football, came with no time left in the half as Pierre Warren hauled in what in effect was a fair catch.
Chicago (5-8) ventured a fake punt with ten minutes left as upback Kyle Fuller took the snap, though was stuffed a yard shy on the 4th-and-3 try. But the Bears would be pushed back for an illegal formation when they only fielded ten men.
They would find only 92 yards on 29 plays through thirty minutes as the Saints gained 245 yards in one more snap.
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