Al Harris had a prophecy for the Chicago Bears defense when they met Saturday night ahead of their game against the New Orleans Saints the next day.

The unit had been on a roll during Chicago’s three-game winning streak leading up to Sunday’s game. The Bears had created at least three turnovers in each of those games and four in two. So when Harris, the Bears’ defensive backs and passing game coordinator, spoke with his players, he had a bold prediction.

They were going to force four turnovers on Sunday once again.

Harris might be some sort of character from the Bible.

The Bears defense had another breakthrough game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The group fulfilled Harris’ prophecy by forcing four more turnovers in a 26-14 win.

“It’s just pretty special right now,” safety Kevin Byard said. “I mean, I’m not gonna make it seem like this has happened before. I’ve never been a part of that, so you gotta keep rolling. That’s what we need to do to win games. That’s what we’re gonna do.”

Although the Bears created four turnovers for the third time in three games, Sunday’s performance was different from the other three. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen dialed up more pressure and it finally landed against Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler.

That breakthrough came on Saints’ opening possession when defensive end Montez Sweat became a presence for a second straight game. Sweat pressured Rattler from behind on a play in the first quarter and forced a strip sack that defensive tackle Gervon Dexter recovered.

It was Sweat’s second forced fumble in as many weeks.

“It was huge,” Sweat said. “The turnovers are contagious. Once we get one, we like to piggyback off one another.”

The strong defensive play spread throughout the defense as different players made an impact by flying around the field. Allen continued to apply pressure to Rattler, the Saints’ second-year quarterback, and the mistakes continued. Allen also got a chance to finally use most his playmakers to create havoc.

Sunday was the second game Allen had both safety Jaquan Brisker and nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon on the field at the same time after Gordon missed the first four games because of a hamstring injury. Allen used both players’ versatility and sent them on blitzes, pressure that the Saints struggled to contain.

Brisker had a sack, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss while Gordon added a sack, quarterback hit and tackle for loss each.

“Both of those guys are excellent blitzers,” Byard said. “So, [Allen], like I said, he’s putting guys in position to make plays and do what they do best.”

The duo reignited a pass rush that had been struggling for much of the season. Sweat and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds each added another sack to help the Bears finish with four, the most they’ve had in a game this season.

Once the pressure started to land, Harris’ prophecy began to unfold.

Cornerback Nahshon Wright snagged an interception in the second quarter that he returned for 38 yards. Byard picked off a lofty throw in the third quarter that Rattler threw on the run. Edmunds capped it off when he intercepted a ball that linebacker T.J. Edwards tipped in the fourth quarter.

Sunday felt like an important game for the Bears defense beyond trying to keep the winning streak alive. It was Allen’s first game against the Saints since they fired him as their head coach last season.

Allen downplayed the matchup heading into Sunday, calling it just another game. But players like Byard said they know what games like this mean. That’s why they worked hard to make sure he earned a game ball after the win for a defensive transformation over the past four games.

“It’s just really working for us right now,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “Our team needs it. It’s really been the foundation of this last four-game stretch for us.”

Sunday was far from perfect despite the showing.

Rattler led the Saints’ two touchdown drives at the end of the first half and the start of the second. He finished the game with 233 passing yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 66.3 quarterback rating.

“It’s just pretty special right now. I mean, I’m not gonna make it seem like this has happened before. I’ve never been a part of that, so you gotta keep rolling. That’s what we need to do to win games. That’s what we’re gonna do.”

—  Kevin Byard, Bears safety

But the Bears know they’re on a unique historical run. They’re just trying to ride it out as far as they can take it.

“This is amazing,” Brisker said. “We’re trying to make history as a defense. We’re trying to be the best every single day.”