Etienne rushes for 154 yards, 2 TDs as Saints beat Bears 31-13

Chicago, IL - Travis Etienne Jr rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Shough threw two touchdown passes, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 31-13 in Week 11.

New Orleans finished with 400 offensive yards, balancing 218 through the air with 182 on the ground. Shough completed 13 of 17 passes for 228 yards and posted a 157.1 passer rating, giving the Saints an efficient passing performance to complement Etienne's production.

The combination presented a sharp contrast to a Chicago offense that generated most of its yardage on the ground. The Bears rushed for 204 yards but finished with 89 passing yards and 293 offensive yards overall. New Orleans ended the game with a 107-yard advantage in offensive production despite both teams recording 18 first downs.

"We were efficient and stayed balanced," Shough said. "When the passing game and the running game are both producing, everybody gets opportunities. The biggest thing is that we finished with the result we needed."

Etienne averaged more than eight yards per carry on his 18 attempts and recorded the game's longest run at 52 yards. His two rushing scores were part of a four-touchdown performance by the New Orleans offense.

"There was space, and I wanted to be decisive with every carry," Etienne said. "You don't need to make every run complicated. Get downhill, trust what you see and make the most of the chances you get."

Shough spread his touchdown passes between Jordyn Tyson and Deebo Samuel Sr. Tyson caught three passes for a game-high 95 yards and a touchdown, including the game's longest reception at 79 yards. Samuel provided another productive option with four receptions for 70 yards and a score.

Those performances gave New Orleans considerably more production downfield than Chicago could generate. Rome Odunze led the Bears with 36 receiving yards on three catches, while D'Andre Swift added two receptions for 31 yards. Caleb Williams completed 11 of 18 passes for 97 yards and a 75.4 rating.

The Saints were also more efficient on third down, converting six of nine attempts compared with Chicago's four conversions in nine tries. The Bears went 0-for-2 on fourth down. Inside the red zone, however, the teams posted identical numbers: four trips and two touchdowns apiece.

Chicago's brightest offensive work came from Swift, who carried 24 times for a game-high 176 yards and a touchdown. His longest run covered 23 yards. Williams added 28 yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts, giving the Bears two productive contributors on the ground.

"The rushing yards show there were things we did well, but the score is what we're judged on," Swift said. "You can appreciate the production and still understand that 13 points isn't enough. We have to look at the whole performance."

The disparity between Chicago's rushing and passing totals defined much of the final box score. Swift accounted for most of the Bears' 293 offensive yards, while Williams was held below 100 passing yards. Chicago did not throw an interception, but it also did not record a passing touchdown.

New Orleans avoided an interception as well. Shough was sacked twice, while the Saints recorded one sack, credited to Davon Godchaux. Neither defense produced a takeaway through the air.

"We moved the ball on the ground, but we needed more from the offense as a whole," Williams said. "There are areas where the numbers are encouraging, and there are areas where the result tells you clearly that it wasn't enough."

Both teams entered the game at 2-7 and carrying one-game losing streaks, but New Orleans emerged with an 18-point victory. The Saints paired Etienne's game-high rushing output with Shough's accurate passing, while Chicago's 204 rushing yards were not matched by comparable production through the air.

Up Next

The Saints will remain on the road in Week 12 when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals, looking to follow up their 31-13 victory. The Bears will also travel, turning their attention to a matchup with the Detroit Lions as they try to rebound from the loss.