Baton Rouge, La. – The Chicago Bears showed off the depth of their running attack and strengthened their credentials as a serious playoff contender.
The New Orleans Saints knocked starter Thomas Jones from the game in the first half, only to watch Adrian Peterson and Cedric Benson combine for 137 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the Bears’ 20-17 victory Sunday.
“We get off the plane running the ball,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Cedric Benson, Thomas Jones, Adrian Peterson all did a good job. What can I say about the offensive line I haven’t said?”
Robbie Gould made the winning field goal with six seconds to go from 28 yards. Kyle Orton set up the clincher with a 22- yard, third-down completion on a sideline route to Muhsin Muhammad at the 10-yard line. That allowed Chicago (5-3) to run the clock down to 10 seconds before lining up for the winning kick.
The crowd was announced at 32,637, dwarfed by LSU’s 93,000-seat Tiger Stadium.
The no-shows probably were glad they didn’t come, as the Saints (2-7) lost their fifth straight despite playing well at times.
Chicago, meanwhile, won its fourth straight for the first time since 2001-02, the most recent time the Bears were playoff- bound.
Peterson gave the Bears a 17-10 lead in the third quarter on a 6-yard carry after he had run for a slashing 36-yard gain one play earlier. He finished with 58 yards on six carries.
Benson had 79 yards on 14 carries, including a 27-yarder during the Bears’ final drive.
“I never thought there was that much space in the NFL, but there was a lot of it,” said Benson, a rookie out of Texas. “It says a lot for our offensive line.”
Antowain Smith had 110 yards on 17 carries for the Saints, while Aaron Brooks was 16-of-26 for 170 yards and a touchdown. He threw two interceptions, the second on a desperate heave as time expired.
The Saints’ first two possessions got them to or inside the Chicago 20, but they only came away with John Carney’s 21-yard field goal, set up by Smith’s 42-yard run.
“We talked all week about how we kick field goals instead of scoring touchdowns, and we came out and did the same thing,” Saints coach Jim Haslett said.
