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Hester's TDs Knock Out New Orleans

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By RICK GANO, The Associated Press

Published: December 31, 2007

CHICAGO - Hoping to win, hop on a plane and get good news when they arrived back in New Orleans, the Saints instead headed home Sunday knowing their season was over.
Kick returner extraordinaire Devin Hester raced for a pair of TDs - one on a 64-yard punt return, another on a 55-yard pass - and the Chicago Bears beat the Saints 33-25, erasing New Orleans' slim chances for the playoffs.

Eleven months ago the Saints' season ended in the NFC Championship Game with a 39-14 loss at Soldier Field that sent the Bears to the Super Bowl.

Now New Orleans was left to digest another loss on the same field - this time without making the postseason.

"They feel about the same," said Drew Brees, who set an NFL record for completions in a single season - he finished with 443 - while attempting 60 passes Sunday. "If we had won this game we still might have had an opportunity for the playoffs."

Saints coach Sean Payton didn't see the similarities between the two disheartening losses.

"It is different. Different teams, different circumstances - an NFC Championship Game and 7-9," he said. "It's an irony that the season ended here."

New Orleans needed to beat the Bears and have both the Redskins and Vikings lose Sunday in later games.

Now the two teams that were atop the NFC last season are both out in the cold.

Chicago (7-9), which lost the Super Bowl to the Colts, was eliminated from the postseason picture two weeks ago.

"Coming off the season we had last year, we were hoping for better things. But at the end of the day, we left off with a good note," Hester said.

"Look at way we're playing right now. We should have been doing that all season. It's tough. But things happen."

Hester now has four punt return TDs and two on kickoffs this season. Last year he had five total, three on punts and two on kickoffs.

After the Saints went three-and-out, Steven Weatherford punted to Hester. He went right and then quickly cut back left, found a seam and easily outraced would-be tacklers to put the Bears ahead 31-17.

Chi-FG Gould 39, 12:00.

Chi-Bradley 19 pass from Orton (Gould kick), 6:26.

Second Quarter

NO-Colston 3 pass from Brees (Gramatica kick), 8:35.

Chi-Berrian 9 pass from Peterson (Gould kick), 5:45.

NO-Colston 21 pass from Brees (Gramatica kick), 2:07.

Chi-Hester 55 pass from Orton (Gould kick), 1:48.

NO-FG Gramatica 48, :00.

Third Quarter

Chi-Hester 64 punt return (Gould kick), 12:31.

Fourth Quarter

Chi-Safety, Evans offensive holding penalty in end zone, 5:14.

NO-Thomas 11 pass from Brees (Thomas run), :07.

A-62,064.

RUSHING-New Orleans, P.Thomas 20-105. Chicago, Peterson 21-91, Wolfe 4-7, Orton 2-(minus 2).

PASSING-New Orleans, Brees 35-60-2-320. Chicago, Orton 12-27-1-190, Peterson 1-1-0-9.

RECEIVING-N.O., P.Thomas 12-121, Colston 8-94, Patten 4-39, Johnson 4-25, Miller 3-26, Copper 2-9, Karney 1-5, Moore 1-1. Chicago, Muhammad 3-29, Berrian 3-28, Hester 2-65, Olsen 2-17, Wolfe 1-32, Bradley 1-19, Peterson 1-9.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-None.

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