The Chicago Bears will have a chance to build momentum Sunday as they return home. The Bears will play at Soldier Field for the first time in about a month Sunday when they host the New Orleans Saints.

Chicago is riding high and has a good chance to keep it going against the Saints. The Bears have won three straight games heading into Sunday, including two straight where quarterback Caleb Williams led a game-winning drive on the team’s final possession.

Now the Bears (3-2) will try to take another step against a Saints (1-5) team that has played well at times despite their record. New Orleans has one of the worst records in the NFL, but three losses have ended within one possession. The Saints still have plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball that the Bears will need to keep an eye on.

Sunday afternoon’s game kicks off at noon and will be broadcast on FOX. Here are the top five storylines to watch.

Can the running attack keep it moving?

The Bears had a rushing revelation against the Washington Commanders on Monday. Now it’ll be interesting to see whether that will continue or whether it was just a flash in the pan.

Chicago put together a season-best rushing performance against Washington. The Bears’ offensive line set the edges while receivers did a good job of blocking on the outside. That total effort opened up lanes for running back D’Andre Swift, who ran for a season-high 108 yards.

The Saints’ run defense could give the Bears a tough test. New Orleans ranks 17th in the NFL, allowing an average of 114 rushing yards per game. Teams have rushed for more than 100 yards in a game against the Saints three times in six games. They have plenty of weapons at the line of scrimmage to cause disruptions.

“The three edge players, I think, are good players,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. “But then you look at the interior of the defense, like, Demario Davis, I have a little bit of history just being there. So much respect for the way he plays the game, the physical element, downhill, you know he’s a player who is going to strike you.”

Swift was added to the injury report this week with a groin injury, but told reporters Friday that he’ll play Sunday. That will be important on a day where the Bears might need to rely a lot on the run, given the forecast – more on that later.

Controlling Spencer Rattler

Chicago did a good job of controlling a mobile quarterback for the most part Monday when they limited the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels. They’ll try to limit another mobile quarterback Sunday.

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler has had a good start to his second season in the NFL. He’s 18th in the league with 1,217 passing yards and has thrown six touchdowns and one interception. Rattler’s relied on his veteran wide receiver Chris Olave, who has 26 more targets than Rashid Shaheed.

But Rattler has also used his legs to either extend plays or to run the ball. He’s rushed for 143 yards in six games, averaging 23.8 rushing yards per game.

The Bears have forced 11 turnovers in the past three games and are second in the league with 12. They’ll try to contain the young quarterback and keep him from running around, while disrupting his timing.

“I think when he’s able to get the ball out in rhythm and on timing, I think he’s been highly successful,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “And then the second thing that he’s been able to do is when it hasn’t been there, he’s been able to create a lot of things with his feet. So I think his mobility is one of those factors that we’re gonna have to take into account.”

Dennis Allen faces his old team

Sunday will be an important day for Allen, in a way.

Allen will coach against the Saints for the first time since the team fired him as their head coach last season. New Orleans let go of Allen in November after the team lost seven straight games.

The Saints organization holds a special place for Allen after he spent the majority of his career there during two stints. Allen was first with the team from 2006 to 2010 and then from 2015 to 2024. He served as New Orleans’ head coach the past three seasons, leading the Saints to an 18-25 record during that time.

Allen was grateful for his time with the Saints when asked about it earlier in the week. But he was also ready to move on and focus on Sunday.

“I spent 15 out of my 24 years in the league at that place, so obviously I’ve got a lot of fond memories of being there,” Allen said. “And yet, it’s another game. And that’s where our focus is this week.”

Trying to break a losing streak

Chicago will face a pivotal point in its season even though it’s Week 7.

After back-to-back wins on their final possessions, the Bears have a chance to pad their record with winnable games over the next four games. Chicago will play the Saints (1-5) before taking on the Baltimore Ravens (1-5), Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) and New York Giants (2-4).

How winnable those games are remains to be seen. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could return from injury when he plays the Bears, but the Bengals will be without quarterback Joe Burrow, even though Joe Flacco has looked good in his absence. But the Bears could position themselves well for a tough final stretch to the season by taking care of business over the next four weeks.

That starts Sunday against the Saints. Chicago will try to snap an eight-game losing streak against New Orleans dating back to 2008. The Bears aren’t overlooking the Saints despite their record.

“They’re a good football team,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “This is also the [NFL], so you know I think going into this with the right mindset is what we will have and what we will do and understanding the opportunity that we will have to be able to go out and execute to be able to turn out 4-2.”

Another nasty weather game

The forecast for the Chicago area predicts rain and strong winds Saturday night heading into Sunday morning. Sunday’s game on the lakefront is expected to be impacted at least for the first half.

Chicago proved it can handle the elements in Washington when there was on-and-off rain throughout the night. The Bears didn’t turn the ball over and had their best rushing showing of the year.

Backup kicker Jake Moody did well for the most part, too, when he stepped in for an injured Cairo Santos. He made four out of his five field goal attempts.

But playing at Soldier Field, where the wind is always a factor, will be a different experience. Bears head coach Ben Johnson was confident Moody and the rest of the team would be prepared for what they face Sunday.

“I thought they handled it well, and this week will be a different story, whether it’s rainy or we get a little bit more wind,” Johnson said. “You know, that’s something we always think about as a coaching staff, and just like last week, it’s making sure our players are ahead of it so that they can be in the right frame of mind.”