This was the first trip this far into the playoffs for the 40-year-old franchise, previously best known as the Aints, whose fans wore paper bags on their heads because the team was so bad.

“Just to be able to turn this organization around a bit from where it was last year is saying a lot,” Bush said. “We don’t need to hang our heads about anything. ... We need to use this as motivation to come back and get to this point again next year and, hopefully, get to the Super Bowl.”

Down 16-0 and throttled for 28 minutes, the Saints awakened late in the first half on a 29-yard third-down completion to Marques Colston, who previously had several drops and several more slips. Brees threw a pair of sideline darts and Colston beat Charles Tillman for a 13-yard TD that temporarily changed the flow with 46 seconds remaining in the half.

It took New Orleans only 2:40 into the third quarter to make it 16-14 on Bush’s spectacular 88-yard touchdown that ended with a couple of bush moves. The rookie beat Chris Harris off the line, ignored the sleet and extended for Brees’ looping pass. Then he sped down the left sideline and, at midfield, used one of those Heisman jukes past Danieal Manning.

As Bush neared the end zone, he turned and pointed tauntingly at the hopelessly trailing Urlacher before somersaulting into the end zone.

“I apologized to (coach Sean Payton) about that,” Bush said. “Obviously, I know I made a mistake, but I’m not going to kill myself over it. ... You move on.”

That hot-dogging wasn’t close to Brees’ mistake in the end zone. Under pressure but still in the pocket, he threw the ball away, causing a safety.

That erased any momentum for the Saints, and Chicago scored on Berrian’s brilliant catch at the 2; he was not tackled down and stood up to cross the goal line.

A Chicago blitz stymied New Orleans’ opening drive. After Devery Henderson outfought Tillman for a 40-yard pass to the Bears’ 32, an all-out rush on third down led to a sack by Israel Idonije and a Saints punt into the end zone.

It set a first-half trend.

Another sack, by rookie Mark Anderson, Chicago’s top pass rusher this season, was even more embarrassing to the Saints. Brees lost the ball and a Keystone Kops chase for it wound up in a 25-yard loss when rookie guard Jahri Evans recovered.

But Chicago’s offense went nowhere.

So the defense got things started. Harris stripped the ball from Colston and Tillman returned it to the Saints’ 36. After getting their initial first down on a 16-yard reverse by Rashied Davis, the Bears gambled on fourth-and-1 at the 4 and Benson converted.

But all they got was Gould’s 19-yard field goal.

New Orleans remained charitable, and Adrian Peterson stripped kickoff returner Michael Lewis at the Saints’ 30. Sean Payton lost a video challenge, and Gould hit from 43.

The sloppy footing was an issue all during the game, particularly once the cold rain, followed by sleet and snow, began falling. Runners, receivers and returners kept slipping and areas of the turf were gashed by halftime.

Gould’s 24-yarder made it 9-0 and Jones had his personal touchdown drive, with his 33-yard run the Bears’ longest all season.

Jones capped the ground march with a 2-yard run for a 16-0 lead. He also scored from 15 yards in the fourth quarter.

“It couldn’t have been a more perfect situation for Chicago Bears football,” Jones said. “Just perfect.”

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