Pitch to Bush and he slips, but finds a hole and shoots up the middle for 12 or so. False start. Back to the safety for a second, while the refs were conferring, Ogunleye stood behind them doing the safety signal. But since he's wearing pads, he can't get his hands over his head, so it just looked like he was praying. Run gets nothing, pass to Billy Miller just short of the sticks brings up 3rd and 2. Anderson pressures Brees and he underthrows Karney. Short punt but it takes a Saints bounce inside the 20 and rolls out at the 15.

Comeback route to Berrian gets 13 and the first. Fred Thomas turned his hips and was helpless when Berrian came back for the ball. Jones gets six around left end. Grossman has time, steps into a throw on a skinny post to Muhammad for another 20 yards and that's the quarter.

Bears 18, Saints 14

FOURTH QUARTER

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Thomas Jones getting his massive biceps rubbed by someone on the sidelines. Grossman has Berrian on another comeback route to the left, first down to the Saints' 33. Grossman hit as he throws up the left side for Berrian, Berrian breaks free from his defender, makes the catch while falling backward to the 1, gets up, runs in the end zone, touchdown. Payton keeps the red flag in his pocket, PAT is good.

Bears 25, Saints 14, 14:24 left in the game

Kickoff to the right side again, dropped at the 28. McAllister gets a pair. HB, I don't really know Oak Park's basketball schedule. And holy jeez, we got people offering up their wives to Bernard Berrian. Ogunleye smacks Brees, thinks he has the ball, looks like it gets stripped from Ogunleye and recovered by a Saints receiver. From the replay, the ball was coming out when Ogunleye hit Brees, he collected the ball on the ground, was touched down by an offensive lineman, and Lovie challenges the call (I think it was that Brees was just down). This should be Bears ball at the 26. Both offenses are on the field. I hope the refs make them stay out there for one play. Bears ball, and the crowd approves.

Apparently, the Saints defense has a chance to get on the field. Shux, I wanted to see Reggie Bush line up at middle linebacker. Benson loses a bunch, but the Saints were offside, 1st and 5 from the 21. Benson gets four and Aikman and Buck are talking about Fred Thomas getting benched for being bad against Berrian on that last series. He got benched in the Eagles game, too. Benson to the 14 for the first down. Benson again, this time for four yards. Benson yet again, he hops over a couple of prostrate bodies and into the end zone. Benson the X-factor, as David Haugh called it yet again. Benson and Jones make nicey nice as the crowd goes wild for Robbie's PAT.

Bears 32, Saints 14, 11:37 left in the game

There was dead silence from the announcing booth from the time Benson crossed the goal line to the commercial break. Maybe it was to let the crowd say it all. Maybe not. All I know is, Buck was similarly quiet when Podsednik went yard on Brad Lidge in Game 2. Publanski, I would pay good money to see Buck break down a la Denny Green. Kick was retuned to the 26, from where Brees dumps off to Bush for five yards. VA Beach Jason, solid modification of the old When the Saints song. Brees goes long to Nathan Vasher and I'm surprised I can't hear Soldier Field from 435 N. Michigan.

Benson gets three from the 38. Benson for another four. Clock rolls under 9:40 as Jones gets one and Maynard will punt. The clock will be under 9 minutes at the snap. Dante Wesley downs it at the 8. This is early-season Bears stuff.

Phil, Khan wasn't a Klingon, and "Revenge is a dish best served cold" is a Klingon proverb. Want more info on the Klingons? Ask this guy. Incomplete pass. Bush catches it on a comeback route, loops around the defense and gets the first down to the 21. Brees steps up, hits Bush across the middle for another first down. Brees flushed and hits Billy Miller to the 40, 2nd and 3. Brees hits Colston over the middle and Urlacher lights him up but good, incomplete. Mark Anderson blindsides Brees, Brees intentionally grounds for the second time this game, and the Saints will go for it because what else can they do down 18 with 7:28 left. Danieal Manning appears to pick it off, but wisely drops it as he gets hit, the Bears will have it on the Saints' 30.

So Ben Bohn has joined the (for him) Dark Side. And Ben, I don't know quite what will happen the week before the Super Bowl, but you all will be updated on what we will be providing for the weeks. False start and Jones gets it back, 2nd and 10. Dumpoff to McKie loses a yard, clock under 6 minutes. Jones gets 12 and the first and he is pumped, so is the crowd. Mike Brown applies some Chap Stick. Buck eulogizes Sean Payton's rookie season. Jones gets five more inside the 15. Jones has nothing on the right side, says what the hell, I'll try the left side and oh my Jordan, there are two fat guys and a dude getting leveled by Desmond Clark. Six more, ah, make it seven thanks to Robbie.

Bears 39, Saints 14, 4:19 left in the game

Adam Caldarelli just IM'd me, "Who's that, Marcus Allen?" Kick return gets to the 30, dumpoff to Bush gets six, then another pass to Bush, he gets out of bounds and it's 3rd and 1. Thomas Jones and Ruben Brown hug and the camera then moves to Virginia. Incomplete pass, 3:33 left. Bush gets stuffed and the Bears will have it with 3:24 left.

Tank and Reggie share a little moment as someone runs for three yards. Lovie and Urlacher share a moment. Benson gets five as the clock will hit the warning. The Bears hit Lovie with the Gatorade, though most of it beads up and rolls off his official NFL parka, some had to have gotten down his neck. That can't be warm. Be warned that two minutes are all that separate the Bears from the Super Bowl. Benson loses a couple, then goes for it on 4th and 4 and gets close and the refs will measure at 1:07 to see if the D will trot out there once more. First down, if only because the refs don't want to stop the clock. Rashied Davis hugs Lovie shortly after Luvs dons his NFC Champions hat. Urlacher has one on too, as does Gould (Robbie breaking his to the right!). Rexy kneels. Crown their ass.

Final thoughts: Lots of mopey Saints players in dirty uniforms, lots of very happy Bears players in clean unis. Lovie and Rexy hug. Lovie smooches his wife. We go to commercial. Wow. That's all I can muster. Check the Web cam in about five or 10 for more.