Brees, Saints pull away late for 21-9 playoff win over Bears
Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday. Brees' first touchdown pass in the opening quarter was 11-yards over the middle to Thomas, back from a three-game absence to help heal a nagging ankle injury. The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year missed nine games this season and had not caught a touchdown pass since December 2019. That marked the second time this season a Bears player was thrown out for action taken against Gardner-Johnson after the whistle. The Bears have reached the playoffs twice since Pace took over in 2015, both times under Nagy, who was hired in 2018.
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But he also was intercepted twice in Saints territory, once by safety Malcolm Jenkins and once by cornerback Patrick Robinson. The first occurred in the second quarter when the ball glanced off the shoulder of Ken Webster, who was trying to block on the play but ventured too close to where the punt bounced. Saints: In addition to Brees, receiver Tre'Quan Smith appeared to be briefly knocked unconscious on a hit by Ward while trying to make a catch over the middle in the second quarter. Tight end Josh Hill also left the game with a concussion in the second half. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore left with an oblique injury, but could be seen standing on the sideline without his helmet in the second half, urging on teammates and even dancing at times.