Saints 24 @ Bears 27: Breaking it Down - The Second Quarter

2nd Quarter

• The Saints defense force yet another 3 and out and get the ball back for the offense to start off the quarter.
• 13:07 Remaining - First and 10. Brees throws to Robert Meachem over the middle. It hits Meachem right in the numbers and Meachem...drops it. He really cannot afford to be doing that at this point in his career. 
• 13:01 Remaining - Alex Brown sacks Drew Brees for a loss of 6 yards. Zach Strief just gets beat immediately on the inside. Saints convert the subsequent third down with a sweet pass to Colston.
• 10:55 Remaining - Third and 3. Brees attempts a pass deep right to Colston. Marques hesitates and slows on the route for just a bit but it's enough to throw off the entire timing of the play. Saints must punt and a heads up play by Usama Young pins the Bears on their own 1 yard line.
• 10:38 Remaining - First down for the Bears deep in their own territory. Orton fumbles the snap and both Shanle and Vilma are on it immediately. Vilma is the one who comes up with it. Saints ball. 
• 9:58 Remaining - Brees throws a quick screen to Pierre Thomas on the right side. Thomas runs and dives high into the end zone for the score. Tied up at 7.
• Manning makes another great kickoff return following the Saints touchdown. This time the Saints terrible kick coverage gives up a 52 yard return.
• 8:25 Remaining - Third and 13. Kyle Orton throws deep for Devin Hester who is right at the goaline. Jason David gets burned badly again and reaches out to grab Hester's arm. He is flagged for interference. First down for the Bears on the 5 yard line. Ummm...did we not learn our lesson from last time? I don't think Hester makes the catch, regardless of the interference.
• Forte finishes off the drive by walking it in easily into the end zone. Bears lead 14-7.
• 6:31 Remaining - Second and 10. Reggie gets a pitch to the right side. Instead of turning it upfield for some extra yardage he bounces it outside and out of bounds. He appears to tweak his knee a bit on the play. 
• Saints go three and out yet again. Pakulak is getting a workout.
• 5:43 Remaining - An Orton pass goes in and out of the hands of Jonathan Vilma. JV jumps the route and could have taken it to the house if he had held on. Solid game from him so far.
•  4:55 Remaining - Brandon Lloyd bobbles a potential first down catch. It is ruled a catch on the field. Payton throws the challenge flag and actually wins this one. The call is overturned and the Bears are forced to punt.
• Saints start their drive with a Jahri Evans false start penalty. Three plays later Stinchcomb gets called for the same. They kill the drive and put the Saints in a hole.   
• 3:30 Remaining - Third and 17. Brees has Lance Moore wide open but the throw just doesn't have enough on it. Moore does his best to come back to it but it still takes a hop on the turf before winding up in Moore's arms. Saints have to punt...again.
• The Bears offense puts together a nice series of plays for 33 yards that gets them in first and goal territory. 
• 0:55 Remaining - Third and 6. After Desmond Clark drops a sure touchdown catch in the end zone, Orton scrambles away from pressure and  runs it himself into the end zone. Bad ankle and all. Bears now lead 21-7.
• The Saints, out of timeouts, run a couple of plays before the half finally ends.