The biggest question going around the NFL this week is whether the Chicago Bears are for real. A more interesting question is whether they are setting themselves up for a Philadelphia Eagles-type of run for the next few years.
They've blown out five opponents with the average score of 31-7. They rank No. 1 in scoring offense and No. 1 in scoring defense. The team that wondered whether it could score 21 points a game before the season is averaging 31. After battling injuries for two years, QB Rex Grossman is healthy and playing like an MVP.
Whether the Bears are indeed one of the elite won't be answered until the postseason because they are playing the NFL's easiest schedule. If the Vikings end up with a winning record, the Bears should play only six winning teams. They've beaten the Seahawks and Vikings on the road, meaning they have four only more games against teams with potential. That should almost lock them into at least a 13-3 record, with 15-1 and 14-2 not out of the question.
Except for this Monday night's game against the Cardinals, the Bears won't be must-see TV the rest of the season. Few of their games will be featured on any network because of their inferior opponents. The Bears figure to be a 14-win team that the nation doesn't know because they haven't been on many featured games.
I bring up the Eagles for a pointed reason. No matter what formula of division evaluations you use, the league is separated into the "haves" and "have nots" based on who has a quarterback and who doesn't. From 2001 to 2004, the Eagles dominated the NFC East because they had Donovan McNabb and the rest of the division couldn't compete.
It wasn't until the Giants groomed Eli Manning and the Cowboys and Redskins made veteran quarterback hits with Drew Bledsoe and Mark Brunell that the NFC East caught up to the Eagles. The Eagles had lost seven consecutive division games until they beat the Cowboys in Week 5.
What sticks out about the Bears' position in the NFC North is that they could be in the second year of a three- or four-year reign. Brett Favre of the Packers is 37. Brad Johnson of the Vikings is 38. Jon Kitna of the Lions is 34. For those teams, the future is now, and if they can't stay with the Bears, they could be watching the Bears dominate the division for years.
Let's look back at what happened to the NFC East during the Eagles' four-year title run and examine parallels that fit the Bears' current state. From 2001 to 2004, the Eagles went to four NFC title games and had a 48-16 record. The rest of the NFC East looked like a tryout camp at quarterback.
• The Cowboys tried Quincy Carter and Anthony Wright in 2001 and stuck with Carter until Bill Parcells decided to cut ties because of Carter's involvement with drugs. They tried Chad Hutchinson. They took a brief fling with Ryan Leaf. Finally, in 2004, Parcells dusted off Vinny Testaverde. The four-year result was 26-38 record.
• Arguably, the Giants were the most consistent team during the Eagles' four-year division domination. They rode Kerry Collins' strong arm as far as it took them for three years. In 2004, they drafted Manning but used Kurt Warner to start the season. Overall, the Giants were 27-37, an average of five games a year worse than the Eagles.
• Redskins owner Dan Snyder tried different quarterbacks and different coaches to compete. The list of quarterbacks included Tony Banks, Jeff George, Patrick Ramsey, Tim Hasselbeck and Shane Matthews. The Redskins were 26-38 for four years.
Compare that history to the current state of the NFC North. The Lions look a lot like the Cowboys, a tryout camp for quarterbacks. Kitna is a nice short-term solution. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz likes him, and despite the huge number of turnovers, Kitna could post a team record for passing yards if he stays healthy. Of course, the Lions are winless at the moment.
The Packers' playoff days are over. The roster is in a rebuilding mode. Favre is doing all he can to keep a dying offense on life-support, but it's probably not in the best interest of the team. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers behind Favre but have no idea what he can do.
The Vikings have the division's oldest quarterback and perhaps the rawest project behind him in Tarvaris Jackson. The Vikings might be a fringe playoff team under new coach Brad Childress, but they haven't shown the explosiveness to stay with the Bears. And if Jackson isn't the long-term answer, the Vikings might mirror the Redskins' situation during the Eagles' reign.
Finding franchise quarterbacks always has been the toughest assignment of a personnel office, and it's going to be even more important in future years. With salary caps escalating to $109 million next year and $120 million in 2008, teams won't get much better with free agency. Fewer and fewer impact non-quarterbacks will hit the open market. Notice that most of the bad teams last year are still the bad teams this year.
The Jets have shown some spark with Chad Pennington's return from his second shoulder operation, and the Saints hit a home run with the signing of Drew Brees. Still, even their efforts probably won't result in winning seasons. We'll see how the Saints' 4-1 start holds up against the Eagles, Ravens, Bucs, Steelers and Bengals in the next six weeks.
Still, the Saints and Jets have quarterbacks. With quarterbacks there's hope.
It's no surprise the AFC North has emerged as one of the league's toughest divisions because Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger established themselves as franchise quarterbacks and the Ravens acquired Steve McNair. Charlie Frye is showing some spunk throwing to Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr.
The next division to rise will be the NFC West. The Seahawks have had control of that division, but the Rams are showing a little resurgence under new head coach Scott Linehan. But the future in the division is the development of Alex Smith of the 49ers and Matt Leinart of the Cardinals. By 2008, this division should be a bear.
Speaking of the Bears, they play in a division where Grossman is the only young quarterback prospect on the rise. If anything happens to him, Brian Griese is the best backup in the league. The Bears aren't going to falter during the regular season.
History might be repeating itself. If Chicago's division rivals don't find some long-term quarterback answers, they might be watching the Bears in the playoffs for the foreseeable future. Fans better to used to the Bears. They aren't just a 2006 phenomenon.
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.