While Chicago no longer controls its destiny in the NFC playoff race it's at least in a race, which is more than Jacksonville can say as the teams meet in Chicago today in a game that may be colder than recent Jaguars performances.

"A lot of people aren't controlling their own destiny," Chicago Coach Lovie Smith said this past week after his team's loss to Minnesota put the Bears in their current 6-6 predicament. "Teams that normally win 10 games get in the playoffs; that's how we're looking at it. The glass is half-full around here."

The glass is nearly empty in Jacksonville as Houston dumped the Jaguars to the basement of the AFC South Monday night, 30-17.

Coach Jack Del Rio, whose team has lost three straight and five of six, said he's dealing with his team's issues but his sense of history has him excited to go to Soldier Field.

"It's one of the great places," Del Rio said. "You know that Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, Gayle Sayers, some of the all-time greats are watching. It's a proud franchise, it's been known for tough Football, and we get an opportunity to go and compete. A team from Florida going up there and playing in those conditions, I relish that.

"I recognize there are other challenges in front of us but I'm not getting ahead of myself. I think it is most important to take this business one day at a time and pour all that you have into it. That's how we're going to approach it."

Conditions may include temperatures in the 20s, something Del Rio discussed with his team in tandem with his history lesson. He's not sure the Jaguars got the history part.

"I touched on it a little," he said. "I think the part they got was the fact that it was going to be in the [twenties] and the part where I said 'Don't have me come over and pry you off the heater.' "

The Jaguars will be without CB Rashean Mathis, who was put on the injured-reserve list this past week with a knee injury. He is the 10th Jaguar to find that list this season. Drayton Florence will start in his place and Will James will be the nickel back.

The Jaguars' Fred Taylor (11,218 rushing yards) needs only 19 yards to pass O.J. Simpson for 17th place on the all-time list. He will have to do it against the sixth-best run defense in the league.