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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE CHICAGO BEARS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF JANUARY 10, 2021 @ MERCEDESBENZ SUPERDOME GAME INFORMATION • ROSTERS • DEPTH CHART STATISTICS • MINIBIOS CHICAGO BEARS (8-8) VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (12-4) NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021 – 3:40 P.M. (CST) MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME – NEW ORLEANS, LA. TV: CBS (WWL 4 locally) – Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color an- alyst) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline) AMAZON PRIME: Hannah Storm (play-by-play) and Andrea Kremer (color analyst) NICKELODEON (Specialized broadcast for children): Noah Eagle (play- by-play), Nate Burleson (color analyst) and Lex Lumpkin (sideline) NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One – Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and James Lofton (color analyst) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: KGLA (830 AM and 105.7 FM) – Mario Je- rez (play-by-play), Juan Carlos Ramos (color analyst) and Victor Quinonez (sideline) their fourth consecutive NFC South division title, becoming THE MATCHUP only the third team in the conference since 2002 realign- After wrapping up the 2020regular season Sunday ment to win four straight division titles. With Sunday’s win with a 33-7 win over the Carolina Panthers at Bank of over Carolina, the 2020 Saints became the first NFC South America Stadium., the New Orleans Saints (12-4) host the team since the division’s establishment to finish 6-0 in divi- Chicago Bears in an NFC Wild Card Playoff matchup, sion play. squaring off with a spot in the NFC Divisional Round on New Orleans enters the postseason well-positioned as a the line. balanced team with the ability to run the ball and stop the The game will mark the third time that the Saints and run. The Black and Gold finished ranked sixth in the NFL Bears will meet in the playoffs, the first two a 1990 Chica- in rushing yards per game (141.6) and finished the regular go Wild Card win and a 2006 Bears NFC Championship season with a franchise-record 30 rushing touchdowns, victory, both at Soldier FIeld. The Saints lead the regular tied for the sixth-highest total in league history. Defensive- season series 17-13 and captured the last meeting be- ly, New Orleans finished fourth in the league in opponent tween the clubs, a 26-23 win on November 1 at Soldier net yards per game (310.9), fourth against the run and fifth Field. against the pass. Scoring 30.1 points, per game, the Saints ranked fifth in the league, while only surrendering The Saints enter the 2020 playoffs coming off one of 21.0 points per game, also tied for fifth. Five Saints were the best regular seasons in franchise history. In capturing selected to the Pro Bowl. Bears vs. Saints: NFC Wild Card 2 SAINTS-BEARS CONNECTIONS 98...Saints Secondary Coach Aaron Glenn and Bears Spe- cial Teams Coordinator Chris Tabor served on the same New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton is a Naperville, staff in Cleveland from 2014-15...Chicago DL Mario Ed- Illinois native and played QB at Naperville Central High wards Jr. played for New Orleans in 2019...New Orle- School. He earned a communications degree from Eastern ans Assistant General Manager/College Scouting Director Illinois, posting 10,665 passing yards as a three-time Asso- Jeff Ireland is the grandson of former longtime Bears ciated Press All-American. Payton played in the Arena personnel executive Jim Parmer...New Orleans Defensive Football League with the Chicago Bruisers and briefly with Coordinator Dennis Allen and Bears Defensive Line Coach the Bears in 1987. He was inducted into the Eastern Illinois Jay Rodgers served on the same Denver staff in 2011. Hall of Fame and has his number retired. He also tutored Brees and Rodgers, who made his coaching debut as a quarterbacks for a year at the University of Illinois Payton graduate assistant at LSU from 2001-02, were high school has a sister and niece who live in Skokie…Chicago TE teammates at Austin (Texas) Westlake HS. Brees and Jimmy Graham was a third round draft pick of New Or- Bears QB Nick Foles both prepped at Austin Westlake as leans in 2010 and played five seasons for the team, rank- they and Peyton and Eli Manning (Newman HS) are the ing fifth in club record books in receiving, most at his posi- only two duos of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks hailing tion with 386 receptions for 5,512 yards and 32 touch- from the same high school. Foles also played with CB Pat- downs…Chicago General Manager Ryan Pace served in rick Robinson and S Malcolm Jenkins in Philadelphia several capacities in the New Orleans front office before where they were Super Bowl winning teammates. Saints being tabbed to lead the Bears football operation in 2015, RB Latavius Murray and Bears OLB Khalil Mack were most recently as Director of Player Personnel from 2013- teammates in Oakland from 2004-16, where Allen served 15. Bears Director of Football Administration Joey Laine, as Mack’s head coach for the start of his NFL ca- Director of Player Personnel Josh Lucas and Director of reer...Bears T Bobby Massie played at the University of College Scouting Mark Sadowski all worked in the New Mississippi...New Orleans QB Jameis Winston played with Orleans front office...Saints Senior Offensive Assistant/ Chicago K Cairo Santos in Tampa Bay in 2019. Santos is a Wide Receivers Curtis Johnson served as wide receivers former Tulane standout...Chicago LB Barkevious Mingo coach in Chicago in 2016. Johnson and Bears Defensive prepped at West Monroe HS and played for Cleveland with Coordinator Chuck Pagano served on the same University Saints LB Craig Robertson from 2013-15...Saints WR Eric of Miami staff from 1996-2000…New Orleans Pass Rush Kumerow prepped at South Elgin (Ill.) HS and started Specialist Brian Young and Assistant Head Coach/Tight his college career at Illinois. Ends Dan Campbell played with Chicago Wide Receivers Coach Mike Furrey in St. Louis and Detroit respectively… Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta and Chica- NEW ORLEANS – CHICAGO go Tight Ends Coach Kevin M. Gilbride served on the same New York Giants staff from 2010-14...Bears DT Akiem STATISTICAL COMPARISON Hicks was a third round draft pick of the Saints in 2012 and played for the club from 2012-15...New Orleans Defen- 2020 Final NFL Regular Season Rankings sive Assistant Michael Hodges served on the coaching Saints Bears staff at Eastern Illinois from 2014-16, coaching linebackers from 2014-15 and serving as co-defensive coordinator his Record 12-4 8-8 final season in Charleston…New Orleans Assistant Offen- Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 30.1(5) 23.3 (23) sive Line Coach Brendan Nugent served on the Bears Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 21.1 (5) 23.1 (18) coaching staff from 2013-14…New Orleans radio play-by- Total Off. (NFL Rank) 376.4 (9) 331.4 (20) play voice Zach Strief played at Northwestern from 2002- Rushing Off. (NFL Rank) 141.6 (7) 102.9 (20) 05...Saints Offensive Line Coach Dan Roushar was a two- Passing Off. (NFL Rank) 234.9 (19) 228.4 (17) year letterman at quarterback at Northern Illinois and later Total Def. (NFL Rank) 310.9 (3) 344.9 (18) had two stints on their coaching staff in 1984 and from Rushing Def. (NFL Rank) 93.9 (4) 113.4(16) 1997-2002…Saints DB Justin Hardee played at Illi- Passing Def. (NFL Rank) 217.0 (6) 231.6 (17) nois...New Orleans WR Austin Carr played at Northwest- Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 25.4 (6) 24.4 (5) ern...Bears WR Ted GInn Jr. played for New Orleans from Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 10.2 (8) 7.6 (27) 2017-19 and his father, Ted Ginn Sr. coached Hardee and Turnover Margin (NFL Rank) +9 (3t) -4 (23t) Saints CB Marshon Lattimore at Glenville High School in Penalties 98 88 Cleveland...New Orleans Combine Scout Matt Phillips is Penalty Yards 1005 777 the son of Chicago President & CEO Matt Phillips...Bears Opp. Penalties 64 95 Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo served on the same Opp. Penalty Yards 517 861 coaching staff in Philadelphia with Payton from 1997- Bears vs. Saints: NFC Wild Card 3 THE COACHES Chicago Head Coach Matt Nagy is in his third season at the helm for the Bears after being hired on January 8, 2018 Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has posted a 151-88 as the 16th head coach in club history. Nagy guided the overall record (.632), including an 8-7 postseason mark Bears to their first playoff appearance since 2010 in his first after the franchise had won only one playoff game prior to season in 2018 and brought Chicago back to the playoffs in his arrival in 2006. Payton holds both the club’s top victory 2020, his third campaign. He joined the Bears with 10 sea- total and winning percentage. Payton is ranked 25th all- sons of coaching experience in the National Football time in NFL record books in victories, fifth among active League with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-17) and Phila- head coaches. He continues to represent the Saints as the delphia Eagles (2008-12). Nagy was promoted to offensive model of stability not only within the NFC South, as he is coordinator in Kansas City in 2017 after spending 2016 as the longest tenured head coach within the division, but also among the most accomplished within the NFL.