Bears vs. Saints: NFC wild-card matchup set for Sunday afternoon

The Bears will meet New Orleans in the playoffs next weekend after sneaking in thanks to the Cardinals’ Week 17 loss.

SHARE Bears vs. Saints: NFC wild-card matchup set for Sunday afternoon
Saints_Bears_Football.jpg

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery (32) is defended by New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams (26) during the second half of an NFL football game.

Kamil Krzaczynski/AP Photo

The Bears clinched their spot in the 2021 NFL postseason despite a 35-16 loss to the Packers on Sunday afternoon. As the NFC’s seventh seed in the playoff bracket, they’re set to face the second-seeded Saints in the Wild Card Round next Sunday.

The game will kick off at 3:40 p.m. CT at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

This year the NFL altered its postseason format as part of changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven teams made the playoffs in each conference instead of six, while only the top seed in each conference will receive a first-round bye.

The extra spot ended up being crucial for the Bears, who would’ve fallen out without the seventh and final spot.

It wasn’t a guarantee that the Bears were going to make the playoffs entering Week 17. The team needed a win over the Packers or a loss to the Cardinals in order to seal a trip. They got the latter with a beat up Arizona team getting eliminated from contention with a 18-7 loss to the Rams.

This will be the third time in history that the Bears and Saints have met in the playoffs. The Bears won the last two matchups: a 1990 Wild Card Round game and the 2007 NFC Championship.

The Latest
Steele held the Rangers to one run through 4 2/3 innings.
The Cubs opened the season against the reigning World Series champions in Texas.
Murder charges have been filed against suspect Christian I. Soto, 22. Investigators haven’t determined a motive for the attacks, but they say Soto had been smoking marijuana before the rampage.
To celebrate the historic coinciding of the emerging of two broods, artists can adopt a cicada for free in exchange for decorating it and displaying it publicly. Others can purchase the cicadas for $75.