General manager Ryan Pace spoke with Jeff Joniak Monday evening on the Bears pregame radio show on WBBM Newsradio 780 AM and 105.9 FM. The following is a transcript of Pace's comments:
On finding ways to win:
"I think the fact that we keep on finding ways to win, and you see a different guy stepping up every week and making plays, it's a credit to our culture, it's a credit to the type of players that we have. I think we all know we have areas we need to improve on on both sides of the ball. But we're happy to be 5-1 and just looking forward to playing a complete game tonight against a really good Rams team."
On the defense improving every week:
"It is. That's been the goal all along, to improve each week, and good teams, that's what they do. Defensively, right now, guys are really starting to feed off each other, guys making plays, other guys feed off of that. What I think is most encouraging is just seeing multiple guys step up in different roles on the defense to make these big plays."
On if he's OK with Kyle Fuller's aggressiveness despite Fuller drawing some penalties in recent games:
"We love his aggressiveness right now and I think it speaks to the whole mantra of our team: aggressive and attacking. Matt [Nagy] talks about that all the time. I know Kyle has drawn some flags in recent weeks, but when he plays with that physical style, it sparks our whole defense. Another thing I can't say enough about Kyle is the way he prepares; the amount of tape he watches, the amount he studies our opponent, it's awesome. It's some of the best I've ever been around. Our young guys see that and that's really good to see from one of our better players."
On rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson becoming like Fuller:
"He's such a pro. That's the thing about this rookie class is that they're all very professional, they're all very mature beyond their years. They're all obsessed with becoming great football players. But that's how Kyle Fuller is."
On Foles saying after last weekend's victory over the Panthers that he'd rather win ugly than lose pretty:
"I watched his entire press conference after the game, and I love it. I think it speaks to the leadership and the passion that he has for this game and for our team. He's out there and he's having fun, and it shows. His leadership shows at different times and that was one moment where I really thought it shined through."
On several backup players on defense stepping in and producing:
"It's a credit to our scouts. We know that depth's a key and we stress that to our team: be ready, prepare like you're a starter, every person on our roster. But it's really a credit to our coaches and our players and the work that they put in. Everybody's ready to step in and step up when their moment comes, and it's been awesome to see, especially a guy like DHC [DeAndre Houston-Carson]. He's another guy, the stuff that he does behind the scenes, as much as he prepares, when you see him make plays like that, you're so happy for him because you know all the hard work he's done when no one's looking."
On Rams coach Sean McVay's offensive system:
"I look at him a lot like coach Nagy; he's a young, bright offensive mind. He really knows how to put his team and his players in position to succeed. You look at their whole team; it's a well-coached team and we know we've got our hands full tonight."
On Rams receiver Cooper Kupp:
"He's one of the elite slot receivers in the NFL. He's instinctive. He's got excellent ability to separate. He's got consistent production when you look at throughout his whole career. He's really good after the catch. He leads all NFL receivers in third-down conversions, so us limiting his production tonight is going to be a huge part if we want to have success."
