Be careful when you get into the ring with Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher because the man knows how to counterpunch.
Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley said Wednesday the Bears are better without the middle linebacker. Urlacher responded Thursday with a recent history lesson about the Packers, who will play the Bears at Soldier Field this weekend.
"Just like a couple of years ago, I think, he (Finley) tore his ACL and the Packers were actually better without him. You know, they won the Super Bowl," Urlacher told SiriusXM NFL Radio, via the Chicago Sun-Times. "I hope we can duplicate that as well because it won't hurt my feelings if we go on and win the Super Bowl without me like they did without him.
"People can say what they want. It feels like I deal with something like this every year. Someone's always saying something about me."
Bears linebacker Lance Briggs already had stuck up for Urlacher by calling Finley an idiot.
Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings have had their own back and forth going on the last two days. That's what gets Urlacher worked up.
"That pisses me off," Urlacher said. "It's like your kids. It's OK to be talking about me or whatever, but don't talk about my kids or my family.
"I can deal with the criticism of myself. I get mad when people talk about my teammates."
We have one more day of practice and open locker room before the teams shut down media access Saturday. Is anyone else looking forward to Friday's quotes?
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
