Kyle Orton completed seven straight passes - four to tight end Greg Olsen - to get the Bears in field goal range. After a video review for a spot, the Bears had a third-and-1 at the New Orleans 16 with 19 seconds to go before Orton hit Olsen for a first-and-goal at the 9 with 12 seconds left.

After Jason David broke up a pass for Olsen in the end zone, Orton was sacked with 2 seconds left, bringing on Gould.

Drew Brees hit Marques Colston on an 11-yard TD pass with 3:05 left to give the Saints their first lead at 24-21. The score was set up by Scott Fujita's interception of Orton and 17-yard return to the Bears 31.

One series earlier, the Bears had thrown Pierre Thomas for a 5-yard loss on fourth-and-1. Earlier in the final period, Chicago faked a punt and Brad Maynard lofted a pass to Adrian Peterson that was ruled incomplete on the field - although it appeared he made the catch - and the call was upheld by video replay.

Thomas broke off a 45-yard touchdown run as the Saints closed the gap to 21-14 in the third.

Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye thwarted a New Orleans drive in the third with an interception but the Saints got the ball right back when Orton's pass bounced off Rashied Davis to safety Josh Bullocks, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Bears 45. Two plays later, Thomas found an opening and scored his second TD of the game.

Danieal Manning returned the opening kickoff 83 yards, Matt Forte had a 1-yard TD run set up by a pass interference call and Orton scampered six yards for a TD with 49 seconds to go in the second as the Bears built a 21-7 lead.

Brees, who entered with a league-leading 4,100 yards passing, was only 10-for-24 for 93 yards in the opening half with an interception and a TD. And his second pick came when Ogunleye, who was in his face, reached up and batted the ball before picking it off. Brees was 24-of-43 for 232 yards with two TDS and two interceptions through regulation.

Manning's second long kickoff return, a 52-yarder in the second quarter, set up the go-ahead score.

On third-and-13 from the 44, Orton heaved the ball to speedy Devin Hester on a post pattern, and David was called for pass interference at the 5. Forte, who hurt his toe on his first carry of the game and missed most of the first quarter, scored from the 1 two plays later, giving Chicago a 14-7 lead with 7:42 left in the half.

The Soldier Field weather at kickoff was predictably cold but could have been worse. It was 28 degrees with an 11 mph wind and a wind chill of 18 for the matchup of 7-6 teams hoping to make the playoffs.

Thomas hauled in a 2-yard TD pass from Brees, a score set up by Orton's fumble at the 1, as the Saints tied it in the second.

The Saints were playing their third pivotal game at Soldier Field in the past two years. In the season finale last December they lost 33-25, ending any chance they had of making the postseason. Eleven months earlier, they were beaten by the Bears 39-14 in the NFC championship game.