Five turnovers doomed the Chicago Bears in the New Orleans Saints’ 24-17 victory Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, and wide receiver DJ Moore also lost a fumble as the Bears lost their seventh straight game at the Superdome dating to 1991.

The Saints scored 10 points after the turnovers. They failed to capitalize on two second-half picks, but the takeaways still helped hold the Bears offense to a second-half field goal. The Bears defense didn’t get a takeaway.

Bagent completed 18 of 30 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 70 yards on eight carries. Paulson Adebo had two of the Saints interceptions, and Marcus Maye had the other.

With the Saints leading 24-17 with 2 minutes, 26 seconds to play, Saints kicker Blake Grupe missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright to give the Bears a chance to tie.

But Demario Davis got a strip-sack of Bagent on the next drive, and Saints linebacker Pete Werner recovered.

The Bears and Saints went into halftime tied at 14, with both Bears touchdowns coming on passes from Bagent to tight end Cole Kmet.

After trading field goals in the second half, Taysom Hill’s 3-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Juwan Johnson in the back of the end zone gave the Saints the lead for good at 24-17 with 11:05 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Saints took a 17-14 lead on Grupe’s 55-yard field goal with 11:43 to play in the third quarter.

After the Bears defense forced a three-and-out on the opening drive of the second half, Moore caught an 11-yard Bagent pass and then fumbled. Adebo forced and recovered the fumble.

The Saints advanced only 2 yards on the next three plays and settled for the field goal.

Cairo Santos made a 31-yard field goal on the Bears’ next drive to tie it at 17. Santos missed a 40-yard attempt off the right upright near the end of the first half.

Bagent threw his second interception in the fourth quarter to Maye, who jumped in front of a pass to Darnell Mooney at the Bears 38.

The Bears defense stopped Saints quarterback Derek Carr on fourth-and-1 at the Bears 17 on the ensuing drive, but Adebo intercepted Bagent on the Bears’ next drive.

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Here’s how the game unfolded.

Inactives announced

Bears left tackle Braxton Jones is active Sunday against the Saints for the first time since Sept. 17.

On Saturday, the Bears activated Jones off injured reserve after he missed six games with a neck injury.

Bears safety Eddie Jackson also is active and is expected to play after sitting out last week’s game despite being active.

As expected, quarterback Justin Fields will not play as he continues his recovery from a dislocated thumb. Fields practiced for the first time since his injury Friday, and the Bears listed him as doubtful for the game. Rookie Tyson Bagent will start his third straight game in Fields’ place.

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (knee), safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion), right guard Nate Davis (ankle), cornerback Terell Smith (mononucleosis) and defensive end Dominique Robinson (healthy scratch) are also inactive.

For the Saints, tight end Jimmy Graham, quarterback Jake Haener, wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, defensive end Kyle Phillips, guard Nick Saldiveri and linebacker Ty Summers are inactive.

Halftime: Bears get 2 Bagent-to-Kmet TDs for 14-14 tie

Tyson Bagent and Cole Kmet connected for two touchdowns in the first half to lead the Bears to a 14-14 halftime tie with the Saints on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

Bagent completed 10 of 13 passes for 149 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and rushed for 60 yards on six carries. Darnell Mooney had four catches for 70 yards.

The Bears had a chance to take the lead in the final minute of the half, but kicker Cairo Santos missed his first field goal of the season. The 40-yard attempt bounced off the right upright.

Santos, who went to school at Tulane in New Orleans, had made all 11 of his field-goal attempts entering the game.

Kmet made an impressive 18-yard touchdown catch while heavily covered by Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu to open the scoring.

Bagent was under pressure as he launched the ball toward the right side of the end zone, where Kmet dived and reached over Mathieu for a 7-0 Bears lead. Bagent completed 3 of 4 passes for 47 yards on the drive and ran for 5 yards on fourth-and-1.

Bagent made a couple of big plays on the Bears’ second drive, including running 20 yards up the middle, but he threw an interception to Paulson Adebo that gave the Saints the ball at the Bears 45-yard line.

Ten plays later, the Saints scored on Derek Carr’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave on third down to tie it 7-7. Olave got in front of nickel back Kyler Gordon to catch the pass.

Bagent and Kmet connected for their second touchdown, a 9-yarder, for a 14-7 Bears lead early in the second quarter.

The Bears began that drive with a 37-yard catch by Mooney, who caught a short pass from Bagent and cut away from three Saints defenders for the big gain.

Later in the drive, on third-and-12 from the 21, Bagent ran for 12 yards. He originally was ruled short of the first-down marker, but the Bears successfully challenged the spot.

The Saints pulled even on Carr’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill with 6:05 to play in the second quarter. It was Carr’s third completion on third down during the 11-play, 75-yard drive.

Bears fullback Khari Blasingame left early in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Catch up on the rest of our coverage.

When will Justin Fields be QB1 again?

Bears quarterback Justin Fields practiced Friday afternoon for the first time since dislocating his thumb on his right throwing hand during the Oct. 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Fields said at his locker after practice his grip strength is not all the way back and there was still a bit of pain as he participated in a limited fashion.

As he and the Bears consider when he can return, Fields said he needs to see “if I’m going to be able to make all the throws and be able to withstand hits and stuff like that during the game.” Read more here.

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Can Montez Sweat be an ‘eraser’ for Bears?

It’s going to be a lot to ask Montez Sweat to make the impact Khalil Mack had with the Bears in his first game and before him Julius Peppers.

But Ryan Poles was dreaming big when he became the only general manager for a team with a losing record to be a buyer at the trade deadline day Tuesday.

Poles is banking on Sweat being a difference maker for seasons to come and used the term “eraser” when talking about the need to add elite players to the roster Wednesday after Sweat passed his physical and the trade of a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Commanders was finalized. Read more here.

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How to weigh the embarrassments vs. the triumphs

Maybe, if what the leaders at Halas Hall are selling has substance, the Chicago Bears may truly be ready to enter the on-ramp toward meaningful progress.

If, as Bears general manager Ryan Poles asserted, coach Matt Eberflus is the right leader for this moment, a head-down grinder with high integrity and a knack for unifying, then the Bears can withstand another bumpy week and emerge with greater strength.

“I know it looks like we’re far away,” Poles said Wednesday. “But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away.”

If so, November should be as defining as any stretch the Bears will face. The midway point of the season will officially arrive at halftime Sunday at the Superdome and the Bears will land there with as many departed assistant coaches from Eberflus’ staff (two) as they have victories. Read more here.

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Miss anything this week? Catch up on all our coverage.

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Will the Bears draft a QB in 2024? What to know about top prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

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