LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Senior writer Larry Mayer sits down with general manager Jerry Angelo to discuss the most pressing issues involving the Bears every Wednesday exclusively on ChicagoBears.com.

This feature will provide you with inside information directly from Jerry that you can’t get anywhere else. Jerry will candidly discuss relevant issues affecting the Bears that fans are most interested in.

LM: The Bears performed exceptionally well across the board on special teams against the Lions and always seem to be near the top of the league in that phase of the game. What’s responsible for that—is it coordinator Dave Toub, the players, or the organization’s commitment to special teams?

Johnny Knox is congratulated by Jay Cutler after returning the second-half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown in Sunday's 48-24 win over the Lions.

JA: It starts with the coach. Dave’s done a great job for us the entire time he’s been here but we also know players win games, not plays. The combination of the two make our special teams what they are at times … special. We have the three criteria you look for: speed, size and toughness. Special teams is a game within the game. I’ve never seen special teams dominate a whole game in every area like ours did Sunday, and the statistics bear that out. Dave has done a great job juggling guys in and out of the lineup. Special teams can and did set the tempo of our game; guys having a lot of pride above doing the dirty work because that is the dirty work of a game. What Dave does in preparing the players and putting them in the best possible positions to take advantage of their strengths has been very good for us.

LM: Through the first four games of the season, what has pleased you most about how the Bears have played and what’s your greatest concern moving forward?

JA: Even though we’ve had slow starts, we’ve finished strong in all of our games. That ties into the coaching—being able to make adjustments when need be—and to the mental toughness of our players. You’ve got to be mentally tough to play on Sunday. Guys are going to have to play through little nicks and fight the fight for 60 minutes. Each and every Sunday is its own battle, and the best team is usually the team that plays hard and doesn’t beat themselves. Injuries are always a concern. If you lose two players at a position—which happened to us at linebacker—it creates a little bit of a freefall on your roster. You have to do things now that you don’t want to do to make room for players to come in and help fill the void. Those are things that you have no control over, but you have to be prepared to act on. In terms of overall play, we have found a way to win with all three phases. It seems if we’re not clicking in one area, the other two pick up the slack.

Jay Cutler looks to throw a block for Garrett Wolfe in last Sunday's win over the Lions at Soldier Field.

LM: How concerned were you when you saw Jay Cutler being flipped in the air like a helicopter propeller on his TD run, and what does a play like that say about his determination and competitiveness?

JA: He plays the position like a linebacker. Anytime a quarterback leaves his feet and is doing a whirlybird in the air, it’s concerning. There was another play later in the game when Garrett Wolfe reversed his field and Jay was throwing a block 30 yards downfield. It wasn’t like that player was near him. He went downfield to hunt him down. You appreciate his toughness and the adrenaline that he brings in terms of wanting to win, and that’s great. But you want him to be smart about it too.

LM: The defensive linemen have done an excellent job of pressuring the quarterback, and they’ve credited first-year coach Rod Marinelli with helping them improve. How big of an impact do you feel that Rod has made and what are your impressions of him as a coach?

JA: We said coming in that Rod’s a great coach, leader and teacher. His experience and the players he’s helped develop speaks for itself.  What he’s accomplished over his whole career in college and the NFL has been exceptional. He adds to the mental toughness on our team, and you can’t minimize that, particularly at the defensive line. As Rod said, the defensive line is the engine that drives our train.