Bears' defense braces for NFL's premier passing attack

In his last two games against the Bears, Drew Brees has thrown for 674 yards and 5 touchdowns.

But the New Orleans Saints quarterback threw 109 passes in those two games - last year's regular-season finale and the 2006 NFC championship game - and the Bears won both.

"I don't think they get off the bus running the ball," said Bears coach Lovie Smith, whose team hosts the Saints on Thursday night.

"They get off the bus throwing the ball, so you have to be able to (get) pressure with your front four. Not just by blitzing, (but) with your front four.

"We have done that in the past, and hopefully we can do it again."

In both games the Bears sacked Brees three times, and they got 3 more Sunday against Jacksonville. But they're still in the bottom quarter of the league in sack percentage.

"You need to get pressure," Smith said. "I think it's always a key when you play against an offense that can move the ball like that."

The Saints certainly move the ball. They're No. 1 in the NFL in yards per game (405.9), yards per play (6.3) and passing yards per game (310.2) and tied for first in passing touchdowns (26).

They're tied for second in points (366) and yards per pass (8.1) and third in third-down conversion percentage (46) and avoiding sacks (10).

On paper that appears to be a brutal matchup for the Bears, who are allowing 234.2 passing yards per game, 28th in the league. They're also 27th in sack percentage.

Brees leads the NFL with 4,100 passing yards and is on pace to throw for 5,046 yards this season, putting him within striking distance of Dan Marino's NFL record of 5,084.

Facing Brees and the Saints for the third time in less than two years means Smith and the Bears don't have to be reminded of his ability to move the ball up and down the field in a hurry.

"It seems like every year we're talking about the same guy," Smith said of Brees. "He's right at the top. It seems like each year we talk about him being an MVP candidate. He's playing as good as he's ever played."

Brees' arsenal has regained the services of running back Reggie Bush after an injury hiatus. Despite missing four complete games and parts of two others, Bush has 50 receptions for 424 yards.

Even without Bush, the Saints didn't skip a beat because Brees has many other options.

That would include wide receivers Lance Moore (62 catches, 774 yards, 8 touchdowns), Devery Henderson (28 catches, 668 yards, NFL-best 23.9 yards per catch) and Marques Colston (25 receptions, 454 yards in half a season), plus tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Billy Miller, who have combined for 79 catches and 885 yards.

Just as they did Sunday, the Bears can count on weather that will not be conducive to executing a precision passing attack, but that won't be enough.

"It's pretty cold out there for us, too," defensive end Alex Brown said. "I don't think we can rely on the weather to win this game. Our job as a defense is to stop a guy who's been hot all year, so hopefully we can make some plays."

Maybe they can. Not all the statistics favor the Saints.

Brees has been intercepted 15 times, which leaves the Saints tied for 24th in avoiding picks.

Although the Bears have allowed an abundance of passing yards, they're also No. 2 in the NFL in interception percentage with 19 picks. And on third down, the Bears' defense is No. 6 in the league, allowing a 33 percent conversion rate.

The weather won't win for the Bears, but it should give them an edge.

"To have a team like New Orleans that plays in a dome come up here and play in the cold," Brown said, "we should have an advantage."