Jack Frost Nips at Brett Favre's Nose, Gives Cowboys Home Field for Playoffs

In the last frenzied hours of shopping before the kiddies ramble downstairs and start tearing the wrapping off their gifts, the Dallas Cowboys will have to venture to the mall and pick out one last present. The Chicago Bears are worthy of a new bike or a Wii after beating the Packers 35-7 and clinching home field in the NFC for the 'Boys. As strange as it sounds, though, it might have been a gift for Brett Favre as well.

Favre looked completely unable to handle the elements and completed just 17-of-32 passes for 153 yards. He had just nine yards in the first half and had a passer rating of zero halfway through the third quarter. He also threw a pair of interceptions in the blistering wind and bonechilling cold, two things that are more likely to rear up at Lambeau Field than at Texas Stadium in late January.

He wasn't the only Packer to suffer in the wind. If they had punter ratings, Jon Ryan's would be in negative numbers. He had two kicks blocked, fumbled a snap on a third and had a fourth travel nine yards in what will probably go down as the worst performance in the history of punting. Unlike Favre, through, Ryan doesn't really have much else to prop up his resume.

Much to everyone's surprise, Kyle Orton didn't have the same kind of problems throwing the ball. He only put it up 14 times, but completed eight and, most importantly, never turned the ball over. Suggested gift for Orton from Cowboys? How about a cordless beard trimmer? Make sure to include the instruction manual. There's not really anything in a bow that could make up for the way this season has gone for the Bears but beating the Packers twice and costing them home field should brighten even the grinchiest of fans.

Because of Favre's difficulty throwing the ball, the Bears were able to survive the absence of Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and Darwin Walker on defense. Alex Brown had the first pick of Favre and had a sack. Brian Urlacher took the second one back 85 yards in the fourth for the game-sealing score. What they didn't do quite so well was stop the run, which brings us to the big nitpick of the game.

Why not run Ryan Grant more than 14 times on a day when Favre made it clear in the early going that throwing wasn't going to be an option? Grant broke a 66-yard touchdown run in the second quarter yet the Packers threw the ball all three times on their next drive and, after Ryan's nine-yard boot, the Bears were quickly in the end zone. Then, after Favre's first pick and another score left them down 21-7, the Pack did exactly the same thing. Three passes and an attempted punt. This one was blocked for a score and the game was all but over.

That's a poor job of coaching to the environment by Mike McCarthy and his staff and a big reason why they'll have to go to Dallas in a potential NFC Championship Game.