Bear & Balanced: It’s (not) a trap!

Even though the Chicago Bears were favored to beat the New Orleans Saints, there were some things working against them on Sunday. This had all the makings of a classic trap game. They were coming off a Monday nighter, leaving them a short week to prep. That game in Washington was a very emotional win, so a letdown was natural. It also rained most of Sunday morning with swirling winds throughout, and weather is often an equalizer when two teams meet up. Plus, even though the feeling around this team has been relatively good, it’s been a long time since the Bears have won four in a row.

Even during the game, there was a distinct momentum swing that gave off ‘oh no, here we go again’ vibes when the Saints scored at the end of the first half on a 46-second drive. They then drove down and scored to open the third quarter to cut Chicago’s lead to 6 at 20 to 14.

But these Bears buckled down, kept fighting, took momentum back, and refused to fall into the trap game.

Check out JB and me on our latest Bear & Balanced right here (or on YouTube) live at 6:00 p.m. CT, or anytime after, as we discuss the big Bears win against the Saints.

Podcast version right here:

Here’s our usual bullet point outline of Bear & Balanced.

• Intro: We’ll both share some general thoughts about the game.
• Trench Tribute: This is our weekly pick for the best Bears lineman.
• Caught up in a numbers game: This segment features one number or statistic from the game that we found interesting.
• Sweet Tweets: We’re both active on social media — so be sure you’re all following us at @gridironborn & @wiltfongjr — and we highlight one Twitter interaction/Tweet each week. We’re both also on the Bluesky here and here.
• The Caleb Corner: We talk about quarterback Caleb Williams before we take our commercial break.
• The 3 Bears: You all know the story of the Three Bears, don’t you? In this porridge-themed portion of the show, we give our picks for the Bear that was hot, the Bear that was cold, and the Bear that was just right in the game against the Saints.

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