Thee quick notes heading into tonight’s tilt …

+ After giving up 182 yards to the Cardinals’ 31st-ranked run game on Sunday, the Bears’ defense now ranks 21st in the league in run defense. So what should Bears fans be most concerned with heading into tonight’s game in San Fransisco? Frank Gore. He’s good. Real good. If the Bears have trouble containing him, and he runs all over them tonight, my fantasy team will be off to a nice start, but that’s about all I have to look forward to with that.

The Bears have had trouble containing playmakers all season. Will tonight be any different?

+ Ladies and gentlemen, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis:

I think we can destroy their front. The guys up front, I think we can destroy them. I don’t see anything spectacular about their front line. Their linebackers, I think we can handle them pretty well. I like (Adewale) Ogunleye. I like the way he’s playing up front. He’s about the only player I like on their defensive line. I think he’s doing a good job.

The Bears will surely use this as motivation. But the last time someone dumped on them — Chad Ochocinco said he was going to torch the secondary — it came true. So yeah, maybe Davis is right. Or maybe the Bears will rise to the occasion and shut him down. Or maybe we shouldn’t take so much stock in what guys are saying before the game.

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Things I never wanted to have a vested interest in:

• Steelers tight end Heath Miller
• The Colts’ rushing game
• Philadelphia special teams
• Brent Celek’s continued improvement
• The Baltimore Ravens’ depth chart at wide receiver
• Frank Gore’s ankle
• Frank Gore’s backup
• Frank Gore
• Jeremy Shockey’s non-booze-related exploits

Things I have been forced to care about over the course of the past six weeks:

• Steelers tight end Heath Miller
• The Colts’ rushing game
• Philadelphia special teams
• Brent Celek’s continued improvement
• The Baltimore Ravens’ depth chart at wide receiver
• Frank Gore’s ankle
• Frank Gore’s backup
• Frank Gore
• Jeremy Shockey’s non-booze-related exploits

These conflicting realities cause me no end of mental anguish. You see, for reasons still not entirely known - possibly out of a love for sports; more likely out of a love for gambling on idiotic outcomes over which I have absolutely no control - I joined a fantasy football league this year. Understand that I have no intense like or dislike of football (save for passively cheering for the Bears, tangentially cheering for the Browns and quasi-ironically cheering for the Raiders), but it seemed like a good way to pass the time while bonding with friends over a shared interest. I would be the ghost of the league: draft, then disappear. What players would I get? How would they perform? Who cares? And I was happy with that.

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