CHICAGO — Bears defensive players can find fault so far only with their inability to create turnovers. Seahawks wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a somewhat harsher critic.

During a conference call with Chicago reporters Wednesday, Houshmandzadeh promised he could beat Bears cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman “95 percent” of the time when the two teams meet Sunday at Qwest Field.
“I feel like I’m going to get open every play, every time,” Houshmandzadeh said, with unwavering bravado. “But that’s not going to be the case. Those guys get paid well. I feel I’m going to win regardless, but I have to be realistic. I feel I’m going to win 95 percent of the time and they can get the other 5.”
The Bears defense is ranked fifth in the NFL with 267 yards allowed per game, and eighth against the pass at 176.5 yards per game.
Houshmandzadeh also had a promise for Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, whom he said ignored him during free agency in March, when Chicago was in the market for a wide receiver.
“Jerry Angelo probably didn’t think I could play,” Houshmandzadeh said. “So I’m going to show him Sunday.”
Bears cornerbacks tried to avoid getting tangled up in the trash talk.
“We’re just as confident in ourselves, obviously, for Sunday,” Bowman said.
Tillman has faced Houshmandzadeh only once, in 2005, when the Bears lost 24-7 to Cincinnati. Houshmandzadeh had two catches for 15 yards that day.
“Sounds like a challenge for us, so we’ll see what happens,” Tillman said. “I think we all like challenges, right?”
The Bears’ 17-14 win over Pittsburgh last Sunday was Bowman’s first NFL start and his third game. Houshmandzadeh doubts he’ll play Bowman any different because of his inexperience.
“It doesn’t matter who it is,” Houshmandzadeh said. “It can be inexperienced, it can be Champ Bailey, it doesn’t matter. I feel like I am going to get open and if the protection is there, it doesn’t matter who it is.
“Sometimes those guys that are inexperienced are the ones who are going to make plays on you because they don’t realize what is on the line, they just play real freely. So, it doesn’t matter, man. The boy is big (6-foot-1), he can play, he can run.”
While the Bears’ defensive backs kept an even keel, linebacker Lance Briggs welcomed the chance to defend his quieter teammates.
“I’ll take a Bear corner over Houshmandzadeh any day,” Briggs said. “He sounds like a bitter guy. He was bitter about it. Maybe he wanted to play in Chicago.
“If he’s going to show what he’s going to do on Sunday, I’ll tell you what: So are we, so am I. I’ve been playing against T.J. since college, so I know what type of competitor he is. The guy can play. But his personal feelings toward us, I could (not) care less.”