5 Saints players to watch vs. Bears

Week 7 of the NFL season is here, and the Chicago Bears have a winning record for the first time in nearly a full calendar year. The Bears (3-2) will try and keep it that way when they welcome the New Orleans Saints (1-6) to Soldier Field. A win against the Saints will extend Chicago's winning streak to four, their longest since 2018, while simultaneously ending a losing one. Chicago has not beaten the Saints in over 15 years, losing eight in a row. It's their longest active losing streak against any team, and the Bears are hoping to snap it on Sunday.

Though the Saints have one of the worst records in the NFL, they have been a scrappy team that has been in virtually every game. They are playing competitive football under a new coaching staff, proving they won't be as easy of an out as some may think. Here are a few Saints players we'll be keeping an eye on this weekend and why:

QB Spencer Rattler

Spencer Rattler was an afterthought going into the 2024 NFL Draft after his college career took a hard left turn, and his selection mirrored that. After five quarterbacks went in the first round, Rattler was the next one off the board—coming all the way in the fifth round on Day 3. In his second year, Rattler was able to beat out rookie Tyler Shough and has put together a solid season so far for the Saints.

In six games, Rattler has thrown for 1,217 yards, six touchdowns, and just one pick with a passer rating of 91.9. He's taking care of the ball and making good decisions, though his play hasn't led the Saints to more wins yet. The Bears will try and force Rattler into mistakes, but it could be tough. Sunday will also be a revenge game of sorts for Rattler, who faces Caleb Williams for the first time since their days at Oklahoma.

Rattler was the star quarterback but lost his job to Williams, which became a turning point for both players' careers. Williams followed coach Lincoln Riley to USC, became the top player in the country, won a Heisman Trophy, and was selected No. 1 overall in the draft. Rattler had to transfer to South Carolina to rebuild his career and fell out of the conversation as one of the best players in college football. Four years after the quarterback change, Rattler finally gets his chance to show what everyone missed out on.

WR Rashid Shaheed

The Saints have a few key weapons at the skill positions, namely wide receiver Chris Olave. He will undoubtedly be the focus for the Bears' defense, but there is another player who is capable of breaking this game wide open. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is a problem to defend. He has elite speed and quickness, proving he can burn a defense on deep patterns.

In six games, Shaheed has 26 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns. 114 of those yards came in Week 5 when he torched the New York Giants, including an 87-yard touchdown. Shaheed came into the league as a gadget player but has developed into a legitimate offensive weapon. Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard cannot get beat deep by Shaheed because he will make them pay if Rattler can get him the ball.

OT Kelvin Banks

Remember Kelvin Banks? It wasn't too long ago that Bears fans were gearing up for the possibility that Banks would be their first-round selection in this year's draft. Of course, the Saints selected him one pick before the Bears, who wound up choosing tight end Colston Loveland. Perhaps Banks would have been the team's choice had he been available, though, given the issues the Bears have had at left tackle to start the year.

Banks is having a decent rookie season up to this point, showing the potential to be a cornerstone for the franchise. He is allowing just one sack on the year along with three QB hits. Banks has also allowed 20 pressures, however, showing defensive ends can get through him. For comparison, Darnell Wright has allowed just four pressures on the year. The Bears will need to force Banks into rookie mistakes and use their big defensive ends such as Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and even Shemar Turner to push the young lineman around.

DE Carl Granderson

The Saints' defensive line isn't what it used to be back when Dennis Allen was running the defense, but they still have players who can make an impact on any given Sunday. With Cameron Jordan well into the twilight of his career, the best defensive lineman the Saints have is Carl Granderson, who leads the Saints with 4.5 sacks.

Granderson started the season out on a hot streak, totaling 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss in the first two weeks. Since then, he's cooled off a bit but is still dangerous coming off the line. He has great size and speed but can also over pursue at times. It will be a fun battle to watch between Granderson and Williams, who has been excellent at avoiding outside pressure this season.

CB Alontae Taylor

Cornerback Alontae Taylor will be an intriguing name to watch on Sunday for a few reasons. He's a pest of a player who isn't afraid to mix it up with receivers and has been utilized in corner blitzes for the Saints lately. Taylor is allowing just seven yards per completion this season, down from 13 a year ago. He does miss tackles, though, so bigger receivers like DJ Moore and Rome Odunze could be able to get away from him.

The other reason to watch for Taylor is for trade purposes. Allen was instrumental in drafting Taylor a few years ago, and he's set to be a free agent at the end of the year. With the injuries the Bears are dealing with at cornerback, Taylor could make sense as a solution who won't cost much in a deal. The trade deadline is only a couple of weeks away, and it makes sense for Chicago to look for reinforcements if they keep winning.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Saints players to watch vs. Bears