NFL Monday Night Football Schedule & Predictions: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears; Who Will Win? [POLL]

By Damon Salvadore Dec 15 2014, 11:58 AM EST

The New Orleans Saints are still in the NFL playoff hunt, but the Chicago Bears look to play spoilers when the two teams face off on Monday at 8:30 p.m. EST. Monday Night Football gives football fans a matchup between two NFC teams. The Saints and Bears don't a storied rivalry with one another, but the Saints still have their eyes at a division title, even at 5-8. The Bears have been one of the most disappointing teams this season, but they will be playing at home. The Bears and Saints are 13-13 against one another all-time. Let's break down the teams and see who has the edge in this game:

New Orleans Saints (5-8)

Even though the Saints have had a disappointing season so far with just five wins, they're still tied for first place in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers. Regardless of their record, the Saints could enter the postseason as the No. 4 seed in the NFC. After having a 4-4 record midway through the season, the Saints have lost four of their last five games. Amazingly, the Saints have lost their last four consecutive home games. Quarterback Drew Brees has the Saints' offense ranked No. 3 in the league with his 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Brees is still among the best throwers in the game today, but he is making a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes. Brees leads the NFL in third down interceptions this season. As for the defense, that's a whole different story. Rob Ryan's squad ranks 30th in points allowed and 31st in yards given up. The Saints have allowed at least 27 points in their last five games. With free safety Jairus Byrd out for the season, the Saints secondary will have its hands full Monday night. The key for the Saints will be containing Bears running back Matt Forte.

Chicago Bears (5-8)

Just like the Saints, the Chicago Bears are a disappointing 5-8. Unfortunately for the Bears, they don't play in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. The Bears are currently 5-8, which is good enough for last place in the NFC North behind the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. The Bears won't be playing in January, but it would be nice to give Chicago fans a home victory on Monday Night Football. Last season, the Bears lost to the Saints at Soldier Field in Week 5, 26-18. Similar to the Saints, the Bears have a lot of defensive issues. With cornerback Charles Tillman out for the season, the Bears defense ranks near the bottom in almost every category imaginable. The Bears defense ranks last in points given up, 28th in total yards allowed, 30th in passing yards and 16th in rushing yards allowed. Where's Mike Ditka when you need him? Jay Cutler has been criticized a lot because of his inability to lead game-winning drives, and he leads the NFL in total turnovers with 20. Still, Cutler does have 26 passing touchdowns this season, just one short of his career high. Forte may be a running back, but his 86 receptions lead all Bears players and is the fourth highest in the entire league. The Bears have lost their last two games -- to the Lions and Dallas Cowboys. Defensive end Jared Allen hasn't quite turned out to be the huge playmaker many Bears fans thought he would be. Outside of Willie Young, there haven't been many bright spots on this Bears defense.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears will play each other on Monday, Dec. 15, at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. The game will be played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. You can view a live game stream here.

Predictions

Neither teams has a quality defense, so this should be a high-scoring game. The cold Chicago weather may have an impact on the Saints passing attack, but they're the ones who need this game more. In the end, the Saints will go marching through the Windy City with a victory. Saints win 31-27