Bears rally, Gould kicks pair of FGs to beat Saints

CHICAGO (AP) — Robbie Gould and the Chicago Bears handed Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints another devastating loss at Soldier Field.

Gould kicked the tying field goal at the end of regulation and booted a 35-yarder in overtime to lift the Chicago Bears to a 27-24 victory on Thursday night, giving their playoff hopes a boost.

After leaving Chicago with season-ending losses the past two years, the Saints looked as if they were ready to end that trend. Instead, their slim playoff hopes took another blow.

Brees hit Marques Colston for an 11-yard touchdown pass with just over three minutes left in regulation to give New Orleans its first lead at 24-21 but Gould’s 28-yard field goal as time expired sent the game into overtime.

Kyle Orton completed seven straight passes — four to tight end Greg Olsen — to get the Bears in field goal range. After a video review for a spot, the Bears had a third-and-1 at the New Orleans 16 with 19 seconds to go before Orton hit Olsen for a first-and-goal at the 9 with 12 seconds left.

After Jason David broke up a pass for Olsen in the end zone, Orton was sacked with two seconds left, bringing on Gould.

The Brees to Colston score was set up by Scott Fujita’s interception of Orton and 17-yard return to the Bears 31.

One series earlier, the Bears had thrown Pierre Thomas for a 5-yard loss on fourth-and-1. Earlier in the final period, Chicago faked a punt and Brad Maynard lofted a pass to Adrian Peterson that was ruled incomplete on the field — although it appeared he made the catch — and the call was upheld by video replay.

Thomas broke off a 45-yard touchdown run as the Saints closed the gap to 21-14 in the third.

Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye thwarted a New Orleans drive in the third with an interception but the Saints got the ball right back when Orton’s pass bounced off Rashied Davis to safety Josh Bullocks, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Bears 45. Two plays later, Thomas found an opening and scored his second TD of the game.

Danieal Manning returned the opening kickoff 83 yards, Matt Forte had a 1-yard TD run set up by a pass interference call and Orton scampered six yards for a TD with 49 seconds to go in the second as the Bears built a 21-7 lead.

The Saints were playing their third pivotal game at Soldier Field in the past two years. In the season finale last December they lost 33-25, ending any chance they had of making the postseason. Eleven months earlier, they were beaten by the Bears 39-14 in the NFC championship game.