(My Sportsbook) - The Chicago Bears began a three-game homestand this past Sunday with a big win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that hails from a state with the nickname of Sunshine.

The win was a big one for the Bears, who remained a game back of 8-5 Minnesota for first place in the NFC West.

Having split their two-game season series with the Vikings, the Bears need a strong finish if they are to overtake Minnesota for the division title. Playing their next two games in cold and windy Chicago will help.

"Everyone has a home-field advantage," said Bears head coach Lovie Smith. "If you talk to teams that aren't from Chicago, believe me, they don't want to come to Chicago this time of the year to play football. But it's a part of our everyday life, so we have to play football in these conditions. We practice in it for the most part and it's no issue with us."

It was an issue for Jacksonville. Danieal Manning intercepted an early pass for Chicago that led to a touchdown, and the Bears held Jacksonville to just 278 yards. That includes the Jaguars' two-headed rushing duo of Maurice Jones- Drew and Fred Taylor totaling just 108 yards.

Chicago went on to win, 23-10, and became the first team in league history to reach 700 all-time victories, including playoffs. More importantly, the Bears improved to 4-2 at home this season.

Earlier this season, Chicago went 2-1 over a four-week stretch that saw it play three times at home around a bye week. However, that came from October 19-November 9, and the weather certainly has shifted since then.

The Bears will try to turn this late residency into their advantage. Though they allowed at least 274 net yards in three December home games last year, the Bears won two of those three tests. They lost to the New York Giants to begin the month before ending the season with consecutive home wins over Green Bay and New Orleans.

Chicago hosts the Saints this Thursday, then gets a 10-day break before taking on the Green Bay Packers at Solider Field.

"It's pretty cold out there for us too," said Bears defensive end Alex Brown. "We can't rely on the weather to win this game. The Saints have a really good offense and our job as a defense is to stop a guy who has been hot all year."

Brown is referring to New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who has passed for an NFL-best 4,100 yards this year in addition to 26 touchdown passes to 14 interceptions. Brees threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns passes in last year's game at Solider Field, while also getting picked off twice.

UP NEXT: The Bears' win over the Saints last year was its second straight over New Orleans after losing three straight in the series. Chicago hasn't lost to New Orleans at Soldier Field since 2000.

VIKINGS: WALKING A TIGHTROPE

The Minnesota Vikings had Gus Frerotte, Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen on the field at the beginning of this past Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

Who knows if any of those players will be available this weekend's game.

Minnesota doesn't have much give despite being in first place in the NFC North. At 8-5, it is a game up on the Chicago Bears and is coming off a less- than-impressive 20-16 victory over the winless Detroit Lions.

Things just might be getting worse for the Vikings.

The Williams boys were both in action this past weekend after a Minnesota judge blocked their four-game suspension for testing positive for using a banned diuretic, which may potentially serve as a masking agent for steroids.

The Lions' run game looked good early until the Vikings defensive line got going. With Pat and Kevin Williams clogging the middle, Detroit eventually managed just 76 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Allen ended with two sacks to give him 12 1/2 on the season.

Vikings head coach Brad Childress said after the game that his team wasn't going to be distracted by wondering if the two Williams' could play this past weekend.

"This game this week was never going to be about two guys that weren't going to play, and it wasn't going to be about two guys that were going to replace those two guys that weren't going to play," said Childress.

There is now no guarantee that the defensive line will stay intact. The Williamses could still have their suspensions start at anytime if that is how the judge rules, while Allen might miss some time after taking a low blow by Detroit offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus to his knee during Sunday's game.

Childress did not update Allen's status on Monday, though the defensive end did return to the game after the cheap shot.

An even bigger issue could be an injury to Frerotte, who had to leave the Lions game early due to a back problem. Childress said after the game that his quarterback had a back contusion, but would play this Sunday if healthy. However, that is a big if.

If Frerotte can't go, it will be Tarvaris Jackson under center. Jackson completed 8-of-10 pass attempts for 105 yards with a touchdown strike in relief this past weekend.

"It was hard at first, but I had some time," Jackson said in reference to adjusting to game action. "I had to get in for Gus a play or two every now and then, a kind of wake-up call. I just had to be ready because you never know, and it really showed (Sunday)."

Jackson was playing his first meaningful minutes since Week 2. He was benched after that loss to the Colts and replaced by Frerotte due to ineffectiveness.

UP NEXT: The Vikings, with hopes of a division crown, visit a team on Sunday that has already locked up its trip to the postseason. Minnesota will be in Arizona to take on the NFC West-champion Cardinals. The Vikings have won six of their last seven versus the Cardinals, but the lone loss in that span came in 2003 at Arizona.

LIONS: 0-16 A BIG POSSIBILITY

Prior to this past Sunday's home game versus the Vikings, the closest the Detroit Lions came to winning a game this season came in a 12-10 loss in Minnesota back on October 12.

That had many thinking that a Week 14 rematch may have served as Detroit's last good shot at a victory this season. But like all season, the Lions couldn't do enough in a 20-16 defeat that dropped them to 0-13 on the season.

Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli is doing his best to help his team avoid becoming the first club in NFL history to go 0-16. The Lions drove deep into Minnesota territory twice on their first two drives, but walked away with only six points.

"We had to get touchdowns I felt. In this league, when you've got a chance to get touchdowns, you have to get them and we were unable to do that," said Marinelli"

Marinelli has also put the pedal to the floor in terms of taking chances. On Sunday against the Vikings, his team went into fourth-down mode once they crossed midfield. Field goals were not an option later in the game.

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper played well against his old club, throwing for 220 yards on 14-of-24 passing. He didn't throw an interception and hooked up with Calvin Johnson for a 70-yard touchdown strike. He did leave the game late with a shoulder injury, however, leaving his status for this weekend in doubt.

"It's always good to get some type of points, but in the situations that we had (Sunday), if we got touchdowns it probably could have been a different game," Culpepper said. "We just have to take that into consideration as a team, and while we're preparing, we have to think about that and work a little bit harder."

Johnson, meanwhile, was limited to just three catches and 84 yards as teams continue to zone in on shutting him down. That is something the Lions will need to work around if they hope to crack the win column this year.

The 23-year-old went over 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his two- year career with his long scoring catch. He actually gave that ball away, but said after the game he was able to get it back.

Detroit has now lost 20 of their last 21 games as it inches closer and closer to infamy. The Lions play in Indianapolis this weekend before returning home to face New Orleans. They wrap their season with a road test in Green Bay on December 28.

No easy wins there.

UP NEXT: The Lions go for their first win against Peyton Manning and the Colts. Detroit has lost two straight and four of its last six versus Indianapolis. The two teams haven't met in Indy since 1991.

PACKERS: GETTING DEFENSIVE ABOUT PLAY

The Green Bay Packers have lost three straight games. They have also allowed 110 points over their losing streak, including a 51-29 loss to the New Orleans Saints on November 24.

After yielding 35 points in a four-point setback to Carolina, the Packers watched the Houston Texans roll out 549 yards of net offense in a 24-21 defeat on Sunday.

It marked the fifth time this season the Packers have lost by four points or fewer, and their defense ranks 23rd in the NFL (346.2 yards per game). Obviously, something isn't working defensively.

Head coach Mike McCarthy won't place the blame squarely on defensive coordinator Bob Sanders, who he promoted to that position on January 21, 2006.

"No one is happy about anything that has gone on with our team," said McCarthy on Monday. "I know the defense, from a numbers standpoint, did not perform well, but we also had the opportunities on offense to win that game. We had an opportunity on special teams to win that game, so there is plenty to go around. This is not just about one person."

Green Bay's current losing streak, as well as losses in five of its last six tests, has the team at 5-8 and three games back of first-place Minnesota. That means the final nail is ready to be put in the Packers' coffin for this season.

McCarthy must now make sure that Green Bay's poor play in the second half doesn't get into the heads of his young players, especially 25-year-old first- year starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has done a solid job in replacing he who shall not be named, but has thrown five interceptions in his last three games and 11 on the season. Rodgers has thrown nine touchdown passes over his last four, though, and 22 total for the year.

Green Bay did loss a big piece in Sunday's loss, as right tackle Mark Tauscher suffered an ACL tear that will end his season. McCarthy said the offensive lineman will be placed on injured reserve and will have surgery once the swelling goes down.

"Mark is clearly one of our veteran leaders," said McCarthy on Monday. "He's on our veteran council. The way he's lined up and played week in and week out, he's played through a hamstring injury. He's the guy you point to. He's a true pro."

Tauscher has been a fixture on Green Bay's offensive line, making 120 starts since being drafted by the club in the seventh round of the 2000 draft.

UP NEXT: Green Bay plays the first of two straight on the road, starting in Jacksonville this Sunday. The Packers have won two of their three all-time meetings with the Jaguars, but lost the most recent encounter in 2004.