Green Bay Packers TE Jermichael Finley thinks Bears are better without Urlacher

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will miss the team's upcoming showdown with the Green Bay Packers with a hamstring tear, but Packers tight end Jermichael Finley doesn't think his absence will hurt the Bears very much:

"Urlacher is at the end of his career right now; he's playing a little slow out there," Finley told Fox Sports Wisconsin on Wednesday. "I don't think they're losing too much if he's out. Putting another guy in might help them a little."

The Bears lost to the Vikings on Sunday, 21-14, in their first full game without Urlacher since he hurt his hamstring against the Seahawks. Nick Roach has moved over to take Urlacher's spot at middle linebacker, and Geno Hayes has moved into the starting lineup in place of Roach.

The Bears have lost four of their past five games and have lost control of the NFC North in the process. At the same time, the team has been decimated by injuries, including one to quarterback Jay Cutler, whose status for the Green Bay game is still up in the air.

Chicago lost to Green Bay 23-10 all the way back on Sep. 13, before reeling off a six-game winning streak.