Find out what Chicago Bears coaches and players are saying about their upcoming game against the New England Patriots.
On playing the Patriots...
"They're a great opponent and they're always in the mix every single year. No matter how they start, they always finish strong and they get better every single week throughout the year."
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky
"It will be a great challenge for this team this week and we'll kind of have a good measurement of where we're at as a team and how we've grown from last year and the first bunch of games this year. We're excited about this weekend. We'll definitely be able to see where we're at against a very high-caliber opponent."
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky
On the Patriots defense...
"They're a good defense that's opportunistic. They make plays when they need to. I think that it's a great scheme that they have defensively and then they've got great players too. So when you match a scheme up that works well with experienced players that know how to play together, you win a lot of football games and that's what they've done. You appreciate it as a coach in general and then you've got to go out and make sure you try to play your game offensively but know that they're a good defense."
- Head Coach Matt Nagy
"Bill does a great a job getting their defense ready to roll. They have a ton of guys that are interchangeable. They have a bunch of guys that can play all over the field. They do what they do well and we need to execute our game plan with the same kind of conviction."
- Offensive Lineman Kyle Long
On the evolution of the Patriots offense this season...
"You get a guy like [Josh] Gordon that's coming in, it's not easy learning these new offensive systems and trying to get on the time so every week that goes by. It's only going to get better. We're going through that right now offensively. It's the same thing. There's been times we've been very sluggish. But the more you're together with your players and you establish that timing and the identity of that offense – every year's a little bit different. I mean, shoot, they're putting up a lot of points the last several games and that's always the case within that offense and with Tom [Brady]."
- Head Coach Matt Nagy
"Anybody at any time can be on the field and have to step up and play great at their position. I think that they do a really good job of knowing their personnel and knowing who's going to be successful. Even when I was there, just putting me in the right places to fit my talent to my capabilities. I think that the Patriots do a great job of that."
- Defensive End Akiem Hicks
On Tom Brady...
"I admire his competitiveness and just following his journey and what he's had to overcome to be able to get where he's at. It's very admirable, and doing it this long, this well over a long period of time is pretty incredible."
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky
"It doesn't matter what the score is with him. He just has this mentality that at the end of the game, they're going to win because of him. He's going to make a special throw. He's going to get on his guys if he needs to, but he's the ultimate competitor, and then he's extremely accurate with his throws."
- Head Coach Matt Nagy
"He's had a lot of success, so you definitely look at what kind of traits he has to be able to lead his team to that many wins over a long period of time. He's just really been able to push the limits at what can be accomplished at this position and how everybody looks at it. He's really taken this thing to new levels and it'll be cool to compete against him on Sunday."
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky
On the longevity of Tom Brady and Stephen Gostkowski...
"Tom [Brady] with what he's doing is magical. You appreciate it – I mean, I played quarterback. It's the only position I've played all my life so I understand that position. And so for him to be playing it at the level that he's playing right now and looks to be no slowing down, it's very, very impressive and respectful from all of us and from anybody that's played the game or understands it. And then with [Stephen] Gostkowski, again, same type of thing. I can remember going back to when he first got in the league and to think now, what, you said 13 years? He's been very consistent since taking over for [Adam] Vinatieri and made a lot of field goals and been very clutch. So two clutch players that have been playing a long time."
- Head Coach Matt Nagy
On Trey Flowers...
"He's not the quote-unquote big name guy, but he's the big name guy amongst the coaching world. We know who he is and what he can do and we respect him and know he's a hell of a player. As you would anybody, you always want to know where they're at and how they do things and that happens in film study. He can hold the point, he's strong, he's quick, he's fast, he plays in front of the quarterback. We know that he's a good football player."
- Head Coach Matt Nagy
On Sony Michel...
"A really good running back, has good vision, can find the hole and get loose. He's pretty explosive, not an easy tackle. He's a pretty good running back."
- Defensive End Akiem Hicks
