LAKE FOREST, Ill. – NFL players usually try to avoid saying anything negative about an upcoming opponent at all costs. But 49ers tight end Vernon Davis didn’t only step over that line, he hurdled it.

In discussing Thursday night’s game against the Bears with Bay Area reporters, Davis blasted a Chicago defense that has been annihilated in two of its last three contests by the Bengals and Cardinals.

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is looking forward to facing the Bears.

“I think we can destroy their front,” Davis said Tuesday. “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.”

Davis, who has caught 42 passes for 477 yards and is tied for the NFL lead with 7 touchdown receptions, also bashed the Bears secondary.

“They’ve given up a lot of points,” he said. “There’s an opportunity for us, especially there in their secondary, for us to make plays. We just have to go out and do it. Enough talking, go do it.”

No pressure: Davis made his comments about a Bears defense that has failed to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback in recent weeks. The same unit that produced 14 sacks in its first four games has mustered only two sacks in its last four contests.

Despite the decline in production, defensive tackle Tommie Harris said that veteran line coach Rod Marinelli hasn’t panicked.

“He believes in the system and he believes in his players,” Harris said. “He feels like he knows how to tweak little things when things aren’t going well. But he doesn’t panic and he sticks to what he believes, and we have to show that on Thursday.”

Seeing red: While much has been made of the Bears offense struggling in the red zone this season, Chicago’s defense has actually performed even worse. The Bears rank 24th in the NFL in red zone offense (13 touchdowns on 28 trips) and 31st in red zone defense (20 TDs on 27 drives).

The 49ers are a much better red zone team, ranking fifth in the league on offense (11 TDs on 17 possessions) and ninth on defense (11 TDs on 23 trips).

On the defense: Playing for a team that allows a lot of points is nothing new for quarterback Jay Cutler. The Broncos permitted at least 30 points in nine games last season—and Denver won three of those contests by scores of 39-38, 34-32 and 34-30.

Asked if he’s having flashbacks with the Bears this year, Cutler defended the defense.

“We’ve got a lot of faith in the defense and what they’re able to do,” Cutler said. “Offensively we’ve had some games where we struggled and hopefully we’re starting to get it together. We know defensively [the Bears] are going to come to play Thursday. They’re going to give it everything they’ve got.”