Bears embrace difficult division

As the Bears return from their bye week, they've had to field questions about division rivals in the NFC North. With Chicago idle, Green Bay and Detroit each put up impressive road victories. Even the Vikings, despite a loss on Sunday, look solid at 4-2. Through six weeks, all four teams are still in contention, and every game matters.

"It's just that tough," said cornerback Tim Jennings. "By far this is one of the tough divisions in the NFL."

But Jesse Rogers at ESPN Chicago likes the Bears' chances because of their strong defense. When temperatures begin to drop in the Midwest -- as they tend to do -- defense prevails. And Chicago has one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL. In five games this season, the Bears have surrendered a meager 71 points, averaging a league-best 14.2 points allowed per game.

The defense will be key as the Bears head into an important Monday night showdown against the Detroit Lions, who average 419.6 total yards of offense per game. That mark is second best in the NFL.