The war of words between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers continued Thursday, as Lance Briggs called Jermichael Finley "an idiot" for suggesting the Bears will be better off without Brian Urlacher on Sunday.
"He's an idiot," Briggs said. "Just suit up and play ball.
"His comments aren't going to change the outcome of the game. They aren't going to help him or anybody play better. It doesn't really matter."
Finley told Fox Sports Wisconsin on Wednesday that Urlacher, 34, is slowing in his later years. Urlacher won't play Sunday at Soldier Field, and he may miss the rest of the regular season with a hamstring injury.
"Urlacher is at the end of his career right now; he's playing a little slow out there," Finley said Wednesday. "I don't think they're losing too much if he's out. Putting another guy in might help them a little."
Urlacher brushed off Finley's comments during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday.
"If he thinks that, that's fine," Urlacher said. "Just like a couple of years ago, I think, he tore his ACL and the Packers were actually better without him. You know, they won the Super Bowl. 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. It's a revolving door every year."
A knee injury sidelined Finley for all but five games of their 2010 season which ended with a Super Bowl victory.
Finley tried to clarify his remarks on his Twitter account on Thursday morning.
"Urlacher is a hall of fame player and person. I meant no disrespect to him in previous comments. I was simply trying to explain that his replacement in the lineup is a good player as well," Finley tweeted.
Brandon Marshall expressed his disdain for the Packers on Wednesday and challenged the Bears' cornerbacks to try to cover him one on one. Briggs echoed some of Marshall's comments.
"I think he said it best, though, yesterday; (he) doesn't like them," Briggs said. "He's going to play this game like it's his last. I feel the same way.
"I have a lot of respect for their team and their players and their accomplishments, but that doesn't matter. I don't like the Packers, and we have to win."
The Bears have lost four of five, and the Packers can clinch the NFC North with a win.