In Chicago, They’re the Good News Bears : Who Are These Guys Who Upset the Vikings and Dare to Challenge the Mighty 49ers?

In Chicago, one of the newspapers ran pictures of four football players, complete with uniform numbers, and asked readers, “They’re in the playoffs, but who are these barely recognizable Bears?”

Fortunately, to avoid an overload of telephone calls, the paper also provided answers: Chris Zorich, Myron Baker, Joe Cain and Albert Fontenot.

Go ahead, name five other Bears. Name one other Bear besides Steve Walsh and Kevin Butler.

“Hey, there are football players in this locker room,” Raymont Harris said. “It’s not like we’re a bunch of throwaways, or the Bad News Bears.”

Raymont Harris? Nickname: Quiet Storm. Fourth-round draft choice from Ohio State. Earned a chance to play running back when Merrill Hoge had to retire earlier this season because of post-concussion syndrome.

“We’re not going to get any respect because no one knows who we are,” Vinson Smith said. “People are going to say we don’t have any players, that we’re weak on both sides of the ball. We’re going to hear . . . how we shouldn’t even show up against San Francisco.”

Vinson Smith? An undrafted free agent. Top singer on the team. Traded by Dallas after lackluster stops in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Linebacker who has spent seven years in the league.

“Watch out,” Maurice Douglass said. “I’m telling you: Anything can happen.”

Maurice Douglass? Former male stripper. Used to keep a pet cougar in his home. He has pierced his body eight times, including his belly button, to wear jewelry. Backup safety and one of the best special teams players in the league.

The 49ers and their arsenal of household heroes have nine players selected to compete in the Pro Bowl. The Bears have a bunch of no-names intent on springing another upset. They were the only road team to emerge victorious in Week 1 of the playoffs, and they did it by defeating the Minnesota Vikings, who had already beaten them twice earlier in the season.

“The Bear factor got ‘em,” said Tony Wise, Bear offensive line coach. “We (are so bad) that people can’t figure us out.”

Twenty-three other teams scored more points than the Bears this season, but Chicago stands two victories away from returning to the Super Bowl.

“We laugh and we laugh,” Wise said. “We would just love to win this game and have the league all ticked off and ruin all those television ratings with people saying, ‘Who are they?’

“We’re not embarrassed by what people are saying about us. Call us what you want. We’re very thick-skinned. I remember before the Arizona game, all the Buddy Ryan lovers were saying we couldn’t beat them with the offense we had. Well, we beat them, and we’re still hanging in there.”

Before last week’s playoff opener, the starting 11 on offense had combined to start only two playoff games--none with the Bears. The starting 11 on defense had a total of 15 starts--11 with the Bears.

“We can’t let what people say or think about us affect us,” said Jeff Graham, one of two offensive players with prior playoff experience. “Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Ricky Watters, playing at home, but on any given day . . .”

Jeff Graham? Brother, Walter, died of cancer in the off-season, and Graham has dedicated his efforts to him. Traded by Pittsburgh for a fifth-round pick. Only three other receivers in Bear history caught more passes in a season than the 68 Graham caught this year.

“Nobody knows about the Bears and that’s fine,” Keith Jennings said. “Nobody knew about the Cowboys a couple of years ago, and then they whipped everyone. . . . There’s nothing cast in stone that says the Bears are going to be in the playoffs next year, so this is our chance and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”

Keith Jennings? Brother of former Cincinnati running back Stanford Jennings. Was playing for the Montreal Machine in the World League of American Football in 1990 after being cut by Dallas. Cut by Bears before the season, returned in October and caught four touchdown passes as a tight end.

The Bears opened this season with nine new starters on offense, and switched starting quarterbacks three times before settling on Walsh in Week 9. On defense, interceptions and sacks were down from a year ago, and the Bears were last in the league in stopping the run.

But so far, the Bears have won 10 games.

“The key to the whole thing is that we have this certain script we follow when we win,” Wise said. “Limited or no turnovers. Run the ball about 30 times. Good defense against the run. Big play on special teams. No penalties. Do you know we have about 500 yards less than the average team in penalties?

“Our players also know their roles. People here remember Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Jim Covert, Steve McMichael and Keith Van Horne, and that’s not fair because you’re comparing great football players over a decade who went on to play in Pro Bowls. Right now we just have a lot of guys who work very hard.”

How do they defeat the mighty 49ers Saturday at Candlestick Park?

“In some ways, I equate it to a heavyweight fight,” Wise said. “We’re going to bring them to our level. We’re going to move them into the ropes and body-punch. Time of possession. Run the ball, stop them from running it and get into the fourth quarter with a chance to block a field goal.”

In other words, it might be another good opportunity for James Williams to distinguish himself.

James Williams? Prime candidate to block a field goal. Knocked down Pete Stoyanovich’s 45-yard attempt to preserve a 17-14 victory over Miami. Nicknamed Big Cat. An undrafted free agent who made it as a defensive lineman. Switched to offense in 1992, and now starts at right tackle.

“We hear all the time about how our players can’t do this and can’t do that,” said Dave Wannstedt, the Bears’ coach. “But obviously, we have found a way.”