Bears vs. Saints: 5 numbers that tell the story

It wasn’t like the Bears had the backing of a nation entering Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game in New Orleans as the blue and orange were the biggest underdogs in the league this weekend, but that doesn’t make the end result any prettier.

The Bears fell in New Orleans 21-9 as the 2020 season officially came to an end after being extended a week only because of the NFL expanding the postseason to seven teams in each conference, up from the six it had been since 1990.

Here are five numbers that told the story from Sunday’s season-ending defeat in The Big Easy.

Nine penalties for 50 yards isn’t great but might not sound especially awful, either.  However, it’s the way two of the nine came to be that was especially bothersome.

Five of the nine resulted in first downs for the Saints, but two especially stood out above the rest on Sunday.

Cole Kmet being flagged for a questionable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second quarter took what would have third-and-medium to the virtually impossible 20 yards to gain.  The Bears wound up settling for a field goal as a result, despite starting the drive at the New Orleans 24.  Right call or not, and I lean it is not, it was points off the board.

The other penalty that was a complete shot to the foot was, while trailing 7-3 late in the third quarter, Eddie Jackson jumping offsides on a fourth-and-three that the Saints would cash in for a touchdown just moments later.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

What the heck are those numbers?

After the Bears went down 14-3 to the Saints in the third quarter they’re the yard totals of the Bears next six offensive plays, split over the Bears final possession of the third quarter and first possession of the fourth.

In a pair of drives that were as “got to have it” as that phrase gets, the Bears didn’t just not get points or a first down, they failed to gain more than three yards on any play.

Not exactly the answer you’re looking for.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

How often do we hear about the importance of getting off the field on third down?

If it’s important on third-and-short, five or more yards to go are absolute musts to get stops if you’re going to go on the road and win in the NFL playoffs.

The Bears not only allowed the Saints to convert 11 of 17 third downs the entire game but of those 11, six came on downs where New Orleans was facing five or more yards to gain.

That’s an awful number on the money down if you expect to win, but it was somehow not as egregious as how poorly the offense played on the same down.

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This was originally going to be “0” but a late, fake rally by the Bears offense prevented that from being the case.

It took until after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter for the Bears to convert a third-down Sunday, starting the game failing to convert their first nine.

On a day the offense especially struggled, nowhere was it more evident than on third down where they converted just 1/10 all afternoon.

What were you doing 3647 days ago?

Our younger audience is very likely too young to remember while the rest of you probably don’t want to think about it because Sunday marked 3647 days since the Chicago Bears football team won a post-season contest.

The ten year anniversary of the Bears beating Seattle in the 2010 Divisional Playoffs happens on January 16 of this year.

Even with a fun last few weeks of the regular season that saw the Bears earn a playoff spot, it feels like this team isn’t any closer to breaking that drought of a playoff win anytime soon.