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Saints still alive in playoff race

Dec 30, 2007 - 11:23 AM New Orleans (7-8) at Chicago (6-9) 1:00 pm EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The New Orleans Saints seem to have more lives than a cat.

Still alive in the playoff race, the Saints close an up and down season on Sunday, when they visit the Chicago Bears.

New Orleans' playoff hopes appeared to end Sunday following a disappointing 38-23 loss the Philadelphia Eagles, who already had been eliminated from postseason contention.

But the Saints stayed alive when the Washington Redskins defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 32-21, on Sunday night.

New Orleans, which is trying to become only the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs following an 0-4 start, enters the final week one game behind the Vikings (8-7) and Redskins (8-7).

However, the Saints still hold a tiebreaker edge over both and can sneak into the playoffs with a win over Chicago and losses by Minnesota and Washington.

Defense has plagued the Saints all season and it did again on Sunday as they surrendered 435 yards and allowed Donovan McNabb to pass for three touchdowns.

If New Orleans, which plays an early game Sunday, wins, it will be rooting for the Vikings and Redskins to lose later in the day. Minnesota plays at Denver and Washington hosts Dallas.

The Bears aren't returning to the playoffs this year after reaching the Super Bowl last season. Still, they gained a measure of satisfaction last week by completing a season sweep of their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers.

Chicago ruined the Packers' hopes for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a 35-7 victory in a game played in 40-mile-per-hour winds at Soldier Field.

Bears quarterback Kyle Orton only passed for 101 yards in his second straight start but posted his first victory since defeating the Atlanta Falcons, 16-3, on December 15, 2005.

The 25-year-old Orton did not play last season while serving as the Bears' emergency third quarterback.