Go Back   New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com > Main > Saints

Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has moved on from the 38-17 thrashing his team dealt to the Miami Dolphins to improve to 4-0 on Monday night. His new fixation: protecting the football against a Chicago Bears defense that has ...

Closed Thread
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-02-2013, 11:43 AM   #1
Threaded by SmashMouth
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Mandeville, LA
Posts: 36,912

Blog Entries: 29
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Rating: (0 votes - average)

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has moved on from the 38-17 thrashing his team dealt to the Miami Dolphins to improve to 4-0 on Monday night.

His new fixation: protecting the football against a Chicago Bears defense that has taken it away from opponents more than anyone else in the NFL has.

The 3-1 Bears’ 14 takeaways are tops in the league as they prepare to host the Saints at Soldier Field at noon Sunday. It appears Chicago picked up right where it left off in 2012, when the Bears — under former coach Lovie Smith — led the NFL with 44 takeaways.

That helped the Bears finish with a solid 10-6 record, but they didn’t qualify for the playoffs, resulting in Smith’s firing. The Bears replaced Smith with Marc Trestman, who had been coaching in the Canadian Football League the previous four years.

Anyone hoping the Bears’ knack for creating turnovers would dissipate during the transition from Smith to Trestman was in store for disappointment. Chicago has won three of its first four games this year by intercepting quarterbacks six times and recovering eight of the 10 fumbles its defense has caused.

“They take the ball away better than anyone,” Payton said about the Bears on Tuesday. “It’s a credit to (Trestman) and those guys on defense.”

Eight Bears players have caused fumbles, led by seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs, safety Major Wright and Pro Bowl cornerback Tim Jennings, who each have forced two. Six players have recovered fumbles: defensive end Corey Wootton (two), linebacker James Anderson, Jennings, eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers (for a touchdown), defensive end Shea McClellin, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Henry Melton and linebacker Blake Costanzo.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Tillman and Wright lead the Bears with two interceptions each (Wright returned one of his for a touchdown). Jennings and safety Chris Conte each have one interception (Jennings returned his for a score).

The Bears’ three defensive touchdowns are the most in the league, and they’re one of the reasons why Chicago opened the season with wins over Cincinnati (2-2), against Minnesota (1-3) and at Pittsburgh (0-4) before losing at Detroit (3-1) in Week 4.

“It’s something that doesn’t happen by accident,” Payton said about the Bears, to whom he’s lost the three times he’s gone to Soldier Field since taking charge in New Orleans in 2006. “To have the numbers they’ve had, it’s something that’s obviously emphasized and worked on.”

Payton singled out Tillman as a player to be wary of. Tillman is perhaps the best ball-stripper in the NFL — the 11th-year player has forced an astounding 40 fumbles, a quarter of which were in 2012, according to the Bears. He has one this year.

“There’s a skill set involved in that,” Payton said. “There’s a simple effort involved in that, kind of a want-to.”

The good news for the Saints is that their players on offense have done a good job of shielding the football through four games. The Saints surrendered their first fumble Monday night, when running back Darren Sproles was dispossessed at the end of a game in which he scored two touchdowns and accounted for 222 all-purpose yards.

Read More

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	087_sean_payton-300x300.jpg
Views:	0
Size:	15.8 KB
ID:	8090  

Views: 1379
Old 10-02-2013, 02:05 PM   #2
Bounty Money $$$
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA.
Posts: 23,691
Re: Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

Whoever is the most opportunistic will win the game. Ball safety gentlemen is our highest priority.
Rugby Saint II is offline  
Old 10-02-2013, 06:04 PM   #3
In Doh We Trust
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 7,027
Blog Entries: 16
Re: Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

Hard game for both teams. If we can run the ball even a little better it will take some pressure off Drew.
homerj07 is offline  
Old 10-02-2013, 07:41 PM   #4
LB Mentallity
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 15,870
Blog Entries: 68
Re: Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

they always win the turnover wars at years end.
hagan714 is offline  
Old 10-02-2013, 09:34 PM   #5
Site Donor 2018
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: lafayette
Posts: 7,753
Re: Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

tillman will allow u the catch the ball then strip it when ur just think u made a pretty catch, be wary offense.
st thomas is offline  
Old 10-02-2013, 10:32 PM   #6
Site Donor 2018
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Thibodaux
Posts: 43,543
Blog Entries: 39
Re: Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways

AND they don't just take it away...

...they SCORE on you as well...

...in fact, they lead the league in that department the past several years...
jeanpierre is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules

LinkBacks (?)
LinkBack to this Thread: https://blackandgold.com/saints/60834-saints-wary-bears-knack-takeaways.html
Posted By For Type Date Hits
The Latest Henry Melton News | SportSpyder This thread Refback 10-02-2013 08:53 PM 1
The Advocate Saints wary of Bears’ knack for ta... | SportSpyder This thread Refback 10-02-2013 03:41 PM 1
Saints wary of Bears’ knack for takeaways This thread Refback 10-02-2013 12:39 PM 13
The Latest New Orleans Saints News | SportSpyder This thread Refback 10-02-2013 12:30 PM 1


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:19 PM.


Copyright 1997 - 2020 - BlackandGold.com
no new posts