Official NFL Release
CHICAGO BEARS (1-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1)
SERIES
|
BEARS |
SAINTS |
SERIES LEADER |
13-11 |
|
STREAKS |
Past 3 |
|
COACHES VS. OPP. |
Smith: 4-0 |
Payton: 0-3 |
LAST WEEK |
W 30-12 vs. Falcons |
L 42-34 at Packers |
LAST GAME |
12/11/08: Saints 24 at Bears 27 (OT). Chicago K Robbie Gould converts 28-yard FG as time expires to send game to OT, where he hits 35-yard attempt to clinch victory for Bears. |
|
LAST GAME AT SITE |
11/6/05: Bears 20, Saints 17 (Baton Rouge). With game tied at 17 in 4th quarter, Bears QB Kyle Orton engineers 10-play drive to set up Gould for game-winning 28-yard FG. |
|
BROADCAST |
FOX (12:00 PM CT): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 128 (Chi.), 86 (NO). XM: 228 (NO). |
STATS
PASSING |
Cutler: 22-32-312-2-1-107.8 |
Brees: 32-49-419 (3L)-3 (T1C)-0-112.5 |
RUSHING |
Forté: 18-68-4.3-0 |
M. Ingram (R): 13-40-3.1-0 |
RECEIVING |
Forté (RB): 5-90-18.0-1 (T3C) |
Sproles (RB): 7-75-10.7-0 |
OFFENSE |
377.0 |
477.0 (T1C) |
TAKE/GIVE |
+2 (T3L) |
-1 |
DEFENSE |
386.0 |
399.0 |
SACKS |
Melton, Peppers: 2 (T1C) |
Casillas: 1 |
INTs |
Urlacher: 1 (T1C) |
--- |
PUNTING |
Podlesh: 48.0 |
Morstead: 49.0 |
KICKING |
Gould: 12 (2L) (3/3 PAT; 3/3 FG) |
Kasay: 10 (3C) (4/4 PAT; 2/2 FG) |
NOTES
BEARS: Have 43 wins in road openers, 3rd most in NFL...QB JAY CUTLER passed for 312 yards last week, his 2nd consecutive Kickoff Weekend with 300+ pass yards (372 yards in 2010). Is only Bears QB with 300+ pass yards in Week 1. In past 4 starts indoors, Cutler has completed 81 of 121 (66.9 pct.) for 975 yards with 10 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 119 rating. In career (incl. playoffs), when he has 100+ rating, his teams are 23-0...RB MATT FORTÉ is from Slidell, LA & played at Tulane. Finished college career as school's leader in rush yards/game (99.2), rush TDs (39) & TDs (44). Had 158 scrimmage yards (90 rec., 68 rush) & TD (56-yard rec.) last week...WR-KR-PR DEVIN HESTER had 55-yard TD catch & 64-yard PR-TD in 12/30/07 meeting...LB BRIAN URLACHER had 12-yard FR-TD & INT last week. DE JULIUS PEPPERS had 2 sacks, FF & FR last week. Since entering NFL in 2002, has 91 sacks, 3rd most in NFL. Has 5 sacks, 4 FFs & 2 INTs in career vs. NO.DT HENRY MELTON had career-high 2 sacks last week...
SAINTS: QB DREW BREES completed 32 of 49 (65.3 pct.) for 419 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 112.5 rating last week. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL in att. (3,062), comp. (2,052), yards (23,337) & TDs (158). Brees has won 13 of past 18 starts at home (incl. playoffs), completing 474 of 675 (70.2 pct.) for 5,263 yards with 43 TDs vs. 16 INTs for 104.4 rating...RB-PR-KR DARREN SPROLES had 250 total yards (92 PR, 76 KR, 75 rec., 7 rush) last week, incl. 72-yard PR-TD. Is 1st player since 2005 with TD on 1st PR with new team. In 2 career meetings, RB PIERRE THOMAS has 372 scrimmage yards (186 per game; 192 rush, 180 rec.) & 3 TDs (2 rec., 1 rush)...WR DEVERY HENDERSON had 6 catches for 100 yards & TD (29 yards) last week. TE JIMMY GRAHAM aims for 5th in row with TD catch. Has 5 TDs in past 4. WR ROBERT MEACHEM had 31-yard TD catch last week. In his career, 13 of his 18 TDs catches have gone for 25+ yards...Since entering NFL in 2006, S ROMAN HARPER has 10 sacks, tied for 2nd most by DB. Had 0.5 sack last week.
CHICAGO BEARS (1-0) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1) (Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)
The defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears seek their second consecutive win over a 2010 playoff team when they travel to New Orleans to face the Saints. In Week 1, the Bears knocked off the Atlanta Falcons 30-12.
Chicago quarterback JAY CUTLER passed for 312 yards in the opener, his second consecutive Kickoff Weekend start with at least 300 passing yards (372 yards in 2010). Cutler is the only Bears quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards on Kickoff Weekend. Chicago running back MATT FORTÉ added 158 scrimmage yards (90 receiving, 68 rushing), including a 56-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, the Bears were led by linebacker BRIAN URLACHER, who had a 12-yard fumble-return touchdown and an interception.
"We are starting 1-0," says Urlacher. "We have a ways to go. We just need to keep it going."
To keep it going, the Chicago defense will try to slow down the New Orleans offense led by quarterback DREW BREES, who passed for 419 yards and three touchdowns on Kickoff Weekend. Running back DARREN SPROLES had a dynamic debut for the Saints as he posted 250 total yards (92 punt return, 76 kick return, 75 receiving, seven rushing), including a 72-yard punt-return touchdown.
"When you walk away from a game with almost 500 yards (477) of total offense against one of the best teams in the league on the road," says Brees, "you have to feel pretty good about the
AFTER HISTORIC KICKOFF WEEKEND, HERE COMES WEEK 2
The NFL got "Back to Football" in grand fashion as Kickoff Weekend featured exciting play and record-breaking performances. Among the highlights of Week 1:
- The 752 points scored tied for the ninth-most in a single week in NFL history and were the second-most ever scored on Kickoff Weekend.
- There were 89 touchdowns scored, tied for the sixth-most in a single week in NFL history and tied for the most ever on Kickoff Weekend (2002).
- NFL teams combined to throw for 7,842 net passing yards, the highest total in any week in NFL history.
- There were five games in which each team had a player throw for at least 300 yards, the most such games in a week in NFL history.
- Fourteen quarterbacks threw for at least 300 yards, the most in a single week in NFL history.
- There were eight combined kick-return touchdowns (five punt, three kickoff), the most combined kick-return touchdowns in a single week in NFL history.
- The three kickoff-return touchdowns are tied for the most in an opening weekend in NFL history (1970, 1998).
- There were three kickoff-return touchdowns of at least 100 yards - Green Bay's RANDALL COBB (NFL-record-tying 108 yards), Minnesota's PERCY HARVIN (103) and San Francisco's TED GINN JR. (102). It marked just the second week in NFL history with three 100+ yard kickoff-return touchdowns (Week 5, 1958).
- San Francisco's Ginn became the 12th player in NFL history - and the first on Kickoff Weekend - to return a kickoff (102 yards) and a punt (55 yards) for a touchdown in a single game. Ginn accomplished the feat just 59 seconds apart, the fastest of the 12 players to do so.
- Carolina rookie quarterback CAM NEWTON had 422 passing yards, the most ever by a player in his NFL debut. The previous mark was 346 yards by Pro Football Hall of Famer OTTO GRAHAM in 1950. Newton's 422 yards are tied for the most in a single game by a rookie (MATTHEW STAFFORD, November 22, 2009).
- Cincinnati rookie wide receiver A.J. GREEN caught a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Bengals' 27-17 win at Cleveland. It was the longest fourth-quarter game-winning TD catch in NFL history by a rookie in his team's first game (22 yards, COBB ROONEY of the Duluth Kelleys in 1924).
- The Thursday night Kickoff opener between Green Bay (AARON RODGERS: 312 yards, 3 TDs) and New Orleans (DREW BREES: 419 yards, 3 TDs) marked the first time in NFL history that opposing quarterbacks both passed for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in their teams' season opener.
- The Monday night contest between New England (TOM BRADY, 517) and Miami (CHAD HENNE, 416) was the first game in NFL history with a 500-yard passer and 400-yard passer. The 906 net passing yards between the two teams were the most in a game in NFL history.