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The Bears started the game by forcing three quick turnovers and establishing a fairly quick 9-0 lead, through three [[Robbie Gould]] field goals. After initally and repeatedly pounding the Saints' interior line with Cedric Benson, they went back to starter Thomas Jones, who carried the ball on every play of an 8-play, 69-yard drive, including a short touchdown run, to make the score 16-0. After holding the Saints at bay offensively for a majority of the first half, the Bears allowed the Saints to score a late touchdown through a 13-yard pass from Saints Quarterback [[Drew Brees]] to [[Marques Colston]] after [[Charles Tillman|Peanut Tillman]] initally stumbled on the play. Early in the third quarter, [[Reggie Bush]] scored on an 88-yard swing pass from Brees, cutting the lead to two points. Though the Bears were unable to move the ball during most of the third quarter, they were able to regain some momentum after the Saints’ kicker [[Billy Cundiff]] failed to convert a long field goal.
After the Bears were stopped again, punter [[Brad Maynard]] pinned the Saints at their own five yard line. The Bears applied tremendous pressure on Brees, forcing an [[intentional grounding]] penalty in the [[end zone]] for the safety, which became the game'smajor turning point. Two Bears' possessions later, Grossman finally got the passing game going, leading his team down the field on four straight completions. The last was a 33-yard pass to [[Bernard Berrian]], who made a spectacular falling catch for a touchdown. Later, [[Adewale Ogunleye]] forced and recovered a fumble after sacking Brees, which lead to a [[Cedric Benson]] touchdown. The Bears were not done yet; Jones scored another touchdown, and [[Nathan Vasher]] crushed any hopes of Saints comeback by intercepting one of Brees' final passes.
The Saints had more net offensive yards than the Bears, but four Saints turnovers, and none for the Bears, proved the difference. After the game, Bears’ owner Virginia McCaskey was presented the [[George Halas Trophy]], named after her late father, former Bears owner [[George Halas]]. With the win, [[Lovie Smith]] became the first African American coach to achieve a Super Bowl berth. In [[Super Bowl XLI]], The Bears would match up against the [[Indianapolis Colts]], and Smith would face his mentor, [[Tony Dungy]].
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