The Bears have picked a bad time to slump.

After a 7-1 start to the season, the Bears appeared to be a lock to make the playoffs. That has changed as the Bears have lost three of four games, including an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in which a rookie quarterback outsmarted a veteran defense.

If the season ended today, the Bears (8-4) would have a wild-card berth to the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 5 seed. They have a one-game lead against the Seahawks (7-5), who are in sixth place in the conference, but the Seahawks hold the head-to-head advantage against the Bears if both teams finish with the same record.