For the Bears, things get much more difficult starting today

Are the Bears who we thought they were? We're about to find out.

After starting 0-2, Chicago has won eight of nine games. They're the unlikely, for now, first-place team in the NFC North, at 8-3.

Everything changes today.

The Bears had a convincing win against the Cowboys in Week 3, 21-14. After that, the Bears accomplished a pair of 25-24 escapes against the Raiders and Commanders. Both games could have been, and arguably should have been, lost.

They handled the Saints (it felt closer than 26-14) before losing by 14 to the Ravens in their last game without Lamar Jackson. After that, the Bears staged four straight come-from-behind wins against the Bengals, Giants, Vikings, and Steelers. It wasn't exactly murderer's row.

Something much closer to murderer's row is now here. The Bears play the Eagles in Philly today. Next, a visit to the Packers. Then, the Browns come to town, followed by a three-game test to close things out: Packers, at 49ers, Lions.

A loss today would drop the Bears to 8-4, giving the Packers first place in the division at 8-3-1. Next Sunday's game at Lambeau Field becomes pivotal.

That's not to say the Bears can't handle it. They've been winning. But they need to keep winning against collectively better opposition, or they'll slip into the wild-card morass from which multiple teams with winning records will not emerge.

Yes, we'll soon learn much about what the 2025 Bears truly are. Kickoff is coming at 3:00 p.m. ET.