Roy Lopez is not surprised that the Cardinals are in first place in the NFC West. The defensive lineman has felt convicted from the beginning.

"I said during Week 1, after we lost and everybody looked at me crazy, was that we're proving ourselves right," Lopez said. "We feel like we're playing good ball, and the football Gods reward you with good ball when you stick to the process and stick to your routine every single week."

This week, the Cardinals host the Bears on Sunday. A game that features two teams who've gone through the week feeling each side of the glory and agony of late-game heroics.

The Cardinals finished October with a 3-1 record, with all three victories late and the last two on the game's final play. The Bears, meanwhile, suffered one of the most difficult losses in recent memory, falling to the Commanders on a Hail Mary last weekend.

"You're furious that you lost and you lost in that way," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. "We have to focus on going out here and winning this game right now. We had our 24-hour period to feel how we felt but we have to move on."

Lopez, who hopes to play despite an ankle injury, said he believes the Bears have veterans that'll help them refocus. It's one of the many reasons why the Cardinals aren't taking their opponent lightly.

"At the end of the day, you need to have that 1-0 mentality," safety Budda Baker said. "I try to encourage the guys to understand that we separate ourselves on how we prepare throughout the week."

A win for the Cardinals would be significant. They'd stay in first place in the division, improve to 5-4, and exceed their win total in either of the previous two seasons.

But quarterback Kyler Murray has been there before, often referencing the success the Cardinals had in 2021. It's a message he's sent to the team as they begin to receive praise from the national media.

"Sticking to the process and not getting complacent," Murray said. "Those teams I've been a part of didn't feel themselves and get complacent and understood what the real goal was and did a great job of holding each other accountable through those times."

It's a message around which the locker room has rallied. "We're worried about getting ourselves better, literally only focusing on ourselves," Lopez said.

The Bears and Cardinals have similarities that are woven into the fabric of the matchup. Coach Jonathan Gannon and Bears coach Matt Eberflus worked together. They're the two oldest franchises. Both teams are quarterbacked by No. 1 overall picks.

While Lopez didn't want to admit this game holds more weight because of the Cardinals spot in the standings, he was quick to point out the Cardinals' x-factor.

"To say one game is more important than the other is a lie because it's every week, man," Lopez said. "It's awesome to be a part of it, but as far as people being surprised (by first place), we've got Kyler Murray. He can do whatever."