This could actually be a tough matchup for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have gotten by in Drew Brees’ extended absence by playing tough defensive football. Two of their last three games have been all about limiting the opposing offense while scoring enough to squeak by. And when the Chicago Bears have found success, they have taken the exact same approach.
Though they aren’t statistically a top unit, New Orleans has found success at all levels of their defense. Cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple have had great games in the secondary. Additionally, the defensive line has consistently gotten pressure on opposing quarterbacks: They had six sacks against Tampa Bay two weeks ago.
On offense, the Saints have been fine. Of course they miss Brees, but Teddy Bridgewater has been good enough to create opportunities for Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Bridgewater isn’t the kind of quarterback who can make stars out of the lesser offensive players, but he has filled in admirably.
The Bears backup may also be starting in this game, as Chase Daniel has filled in for Mitch Trubisky for several weeks. Chicago doesn’t look markedly different with Daniel playing or Trubisky under center. Both signal callers are middling and are probably about the equals of Bridgewater.
Chicago’s skill players, however, aren’t is good as the Saints’. David Montgomery has been fine as a leading back but not special. Allen Robinson is a good No. 1 receiver but not as impressive as others in the league. Besides these two players, the Bears have one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
On defense, however, the Bears are awesome. They’ve bottled up elite backs like Dalvin Cook, and they are good at getting to the quarterback. The linebackers, led by Roquan Smith and Khalil Mack, are the class of the league. When you put all of this together, you get the No. 5 defense by DVOA.
This feels like a close match. Chicago is better on defense, but New Orleans has more talent on offense. But the Saints have the edge here because they just seem to be able to win no matter the circumstances this season.
New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears
- When: Sunday, Oct. 20 at 4:25pm ET
- Where: Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
- Streaming: Fox, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Saints vs. Bears on streaming platforms that carry FOX. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone, (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings, including ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) AirTV
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “it’s practically magic.” While select football games are no longer on Sling after its contract impasse with Fox—which for now means no Fox, FS1, or FS2 via Sling—you can still catch the Fox telecasts with AirTV.
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels.
While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
TRY NFL SUNDAY TICKER ON AMAZON PRIME
Fantasy football: Who should I start?
Saints
Michael Thomas, wide receiver: The Bears are really good against the run, so Thomas may be the focal point of the Saints offense this week.
Bears
Allen Robinson, wide receiver: This offense is not very good, and against a good defense, Robinson may be the only Bears player worthy of starting in some leagues.
New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears: Why it matters
Both of these teams are in competitive positions in their divisions. The Bears are fighting their way through what might be the best division in the NFL, the NFC North. New Orleans has a little less competition in the NFC South, but the Panthers have kept pace with them so far.
The Saints have the edge here, but there isn’t as much distance between the talent on these two squads as you might think. Given that the Bears are at home and Alvin Kamara wasn’t himself last week, Chicago could keep pace with New Orleans.
So odds are this will be a hard-fought and potentially low-scoring affair, and whoever comes out on top likely has a tough battle ahead. We like the Saints to escape with another win here, but it might not be easy.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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