Trestman praises Ola's work on Bears' line

Rookie Michael Ola already started three games at left guard when Matt Slauson was down with a sprained ankle, then two games at left tackle when Jermon Bushrod was sidelined with knee and ankle injuries from a practice mishap.

Sunday at New England, Ola could be the starting right tackle if Jordan Mills' nagging foot injury or inconsistent play keep him out of the lineup. Ola started all four preseason games at right tackle while Ola recovered from off-season foot surgery.

"We're grateful to have him here, and Michael's grateful to be here," coach Marc Trestman said of the Canadian Football League import who started five games for him with the Montreal Alouettes in 2012. "He's just handled himself as if he's (always) done it.

"He carries himself like he's been doing this a long time, the way he engages his teammates, the way he prepares, the way he handles himself in meetings."

Ola started 16 games for the Alouettes last year, and in January he signed with the Miami Dolphins but was waived in late May, when the Bears snapped him up.

"It's obvious that his journey has put him in a place where he is very comfortable in this position in terms of the job he's got to do," Trestman said of the 6-foot-4, 312-pound Ola's utility role.

"He's a gifted young man, to be able to play in this league and to do it on short notice the way he has.

"To pick it up is a tribute to him and certainly to (offensive coordinator) Aaron (Kromer) and offensive line coach) Pat (Meyer) for the job they've done to help him technically and in terms of mastering his work at (right tackle) and the other positions, which makes his value so much greater."

Managing nicely:

Sometimes when a quarterback is referred to as a "game manager" it's a left-handed compliment or even a slight, implying that he lacks the skills to win a game but can only keep from losing it.

But Bears coach Marc Trestman, a longtime quarterback guru, doesn't consider "game manager" to have negative connotations.

"Quarterbacks have to be able manage the game, understand what the situation is and be able to respond accordingly during the course of the game," he said.

"And that's on multiple levels: field position, weather conditions, how the defense is playing, what's involved in the kicking game. That's all part of a weekly discussion in terms of how you're going to manage and play the game."

Road warriors:

The Patriots are 24-1 at home in October since 2003, and they're 95-18 in all home games since moving into Gillette Stadium in 2002.

But the Bears have been road warriors this season, going 3-1 away from Soldier Field, where they're 0-3.

"We went into San Francisco, and they had a tremendous home record," coach Marc Trestman said. "We went into Atlanta, and they had a tremendous home record."

The Bears won in Santa Clara, California, in Week 2, the 49ers' only home loss in three games this season, and only their fourth home loss in 19 games since the start of the 2013 season. The Bears also defeated the Falcons in Week 6 at Atlanta, where the Falcons were 36-12 in the previous six seasons.

"It's how we approach every game," Trestman said. "We're playing that team on that day. We're not playing that home record, with all due respect to it, because it's certainly a good one to have."

Revis Island:

In Darrelle Revis, the Patriots have a shutdown corner who has dominated for the previous seven seasons, at times, taking the opponent's best receiver completely out of the game.

"We've seen him do that at times, when they want to take a guy away," Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said. "It's like any defense.

"If they want to put two guys or their best player on your best player, your best player has to beat their best player. Or, if they put two on you, we have to throw it somewhere else."