By Bob Christ

Contributing Writer

SUNDAY

New Orleans (11-6)

at Chicago (14-3)

Time: 3 p.m.

Line: Bears by 2.5

Facts: Chicago QB Rex Grossman has had a wild ride. Seven times his passer rating has been higher than 100 this season. In five other games he has been under the Mendoza Line of 39.6 (the equivalent of throwing only incompletions), most in the league. The Bears have a record of 12-0 when Grossman doesn’t totally screw up (having a rating of 37 or higher). ... The Saints’ defense has yielded 15 more TDs throws than it had interceptions, matching the worst differential of any of the previous 160 teams to reach the conference finals in the Super Bowl era. ... New Orleans was 5-2 after seven games this season, the worst start for any of the Final Four. The Bears and Colts opened 7-0; the Patriots 6-1. ... Chicago rookie Devin Hester set a league record with six TDs off kick/punt returns this season. In his past four outings, he’s had no TDs but seven fumbles. ... Sunday afternoon’s forecast indicates a high of 30 degrees and a 70 percent chance of snow, perhaps in significant amounts. ... New Orleans has the NFL’s top-rated offense. In the previous three seasons, however, the team with the No. 1 unit didn’t even make the playoffs.

Analysis: A prominent reason the Saints edged the Eagles a week ago was because RB Reggie Bush razzle-dazzled his way to big plays with his darting stop-and-go running in the Superdome. It appears that Soldier Field will have a slippery surface Sunday, which probably will take away that element from the Saints’ game _ although sloppy fields never seemed to slow Gale Sayers. And if the wind picks up or if receivers refuse to take their hands out of their mufflers, it will come down to two potent running games. The difference is that the Bears’ linebackers, led by Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, are among the best in the business. The Saints’ group would be on the Bears’ scout team, and New Orleans’ run defense is statistically the worst in team history.

Forecast: Bears 31, Saints 21[an error occurred while processing this directive]