Brian Urlacher's leadership of a dominant defensive effort allowed the Chicago Bears to revel in a season-opening victory.
The Bears are heading into their next game in a decidedly more somber mood.
Because of his mother's death earlier this week, Urlacher's status is unknown for Sunday's visit to the New Orleans Saints.
Urlacher scored his team's final points in a 30-12 home victory over Atlanta by returning a fumble for a touchdown and set up another TD with a diving interception. He also had a team-best 10 tackles as the Bears held the Falcons' offense to two field goals during a matchup of the NFC's top two squads from a year ago.
As it began preparations for this week's game, Chicago got the stunning news of the passing of Urlacher's 51-year-old mother, Lavoyda Lenard, at her home in Texas on Monday.
"My first priority right now is to be with my family as we mourn her loss and make the arrangements to lay her to rest," Urlacher said.
Coach Lovie Smith said the team will let Urlacher have as much time off as possible.
"You can't replace a guy like that," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "You can't find a guy like that in the league. He's the heart and soul of this organization."
If Urlacher is out for Sunday's game, it might fall on Cutler and the Bears offense to carry a little more of the burden while dealing with a raucous Superdome crowd.
An improved performance in the red zone could help. Chicago (1-0) ranked 30th in scoring percentage from inside the 20 last year at 78.4 and had to settle for two field goals in three chances last week.
"We've just got to get better in the red zone,'' Cutler said. "We've just got to hammer out some of these details because we left 14-21 points off the board."
The Saints, meanwhile, are hoping to keep a few more points off the scoreboard after a 42-34 loss in Week 1 to defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay.
"We realize we can be a lot better. We're going to be a lot better," cornerback Jabari Greersaid. ''It's the first game. It's a long season. ... We're not looking at ourselves and thinking that we are worse than we are. We realize that we have a lot of talented guys in this room."
New Orleans' offense, meanwhile, generated 477 yards with Drew Brees passing for 419 and three TDs. The Saints, though, missed their chance to tie the game when rookie Mark Ingram was stopped at the 1 on the final play.
"You've got to get a yard," Ingram said. "It's goal line to win the game, got to get a yard."
New Orleans (0-1) might have to try to bounce back from that defeat without a pair of receivers, including Marques Colston, the team leader last season with 84 receptions and 1,023 yards.
Colston could miss four weeks after breaking his collar bone while making a diving catch in the final seconds of the season opener. Lance Moore sat out that game with a sore groin, and his status is unknown for Sunday.
"We feel pretty good about being able to fill in (for Colston) and in the meantime continue the rehab on Marques and get him up to speed as soon as he can," coach Sean Payton said.
In his return to New Orleans, former Tulane star Matt Forte, who had 158 total yards and a TD in the opener, will try to help the Bears extend a four-game win streak over the Saints, which includes the 2007 NFC championship at Soldier Field.
If history is an indication, Chicago might also need kicker Robbie Gould's help during its first game at the Superdome since 2005.
In the Bears' most recent matchup with the Saints in 2008, Gould made a 28-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation and a 35-yarder in overtime to give his team a 27-24 victory.
He also converted a 28-yard attempt with six seconds left during the previous game in New Orleans, a 20-17 win in 2005 that snapped a three-game skid at the Superdome.
