After hearing those comments, Bears get …

If the Bears and Chargers happen to wind up in Super Bowl XLII, the two weeks of build-up to the game will be interesting.

Make that very interesting.

Especially considering their only meeting in the past four years generated enough bad blood to rival the Hatfields and the McCoys.

After Sunday's San Diego victory, Chargers players referred to Bears quarterback Rex Grossman as a "mental midget" and implied running back Cedric Benson was soft.

Wednesday the Bears fired back in the war of words that began almost immediately after the game. Linebacker Matt Wilhelm said Chargers inside linebackers coach and former Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera told defensive players that Grossman was a "mental midget," and that they could disrupt his game by getting into his head.

"I would never say that about Rex," Rivera said Wednesday on "The Mike North Morning Show" on WSCR 670-AM. "In fact, if there is one thing I most certainly would do is always treat an opponent with respect.

"(Rex) is mentally a strong player. Did I say we have to try to get into his psyche? Absolutely. Did I say we have to get after him? Most certainly."

Rivera, who was not rehired by the Bears after the 2006 season, insists the "mental midget" rip didn't come from him.

"You don't talk about people that way," said Rivera, a Bears linebacker from 1984-92. "I would never say anything like that about another person or player to the media or to players."

Although he hadn't talked to Rivera and wasn't previously aware of the Grossman comments, Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner took exception when he was informed after Wednesday's practice.

"That's idiotic to make a statement like that," Turner said. "Rex is a very smart football player, an outstanding football player, and he prepares the right way. To make a statement like that to anybody makes no sense whatsoever."

When the story was relayed to Bears center Olin Kreutz, he reacted angrily.

"I think Ron (Rivera) showed you right there why he's not here anymore," Kreutz said. "He's kind of a me guy. He says too much sometimes. And it's probably why he's not back."

Kreutz said he wasn't surprised by Rivera's alleged comments.

"I mean, here's a guy who, after the Super Bowl we had just lost said, 'It's my time,' " Kreutz said, in reference to Rivera's several head-coaching interviews. "So take it for what it is."

Grossman downplayed the comments attributed to Rivera, said he hadn't talked to him and was only informed of the comments shortly before speaking to the media.

"I don't know what to say other than he has never been around me," Grossman said. "He's always been up in the booth. I don't know where it comes from."

Grossman was a lot more incensed by the comments about Benson from linebacker Shaun Phillips and defensive end Luis Castillo.

On Sirius Radio, Phillips said: "When we studied (Benson), that was one of our knocks on him, is that he can get a little disgruntled when you hit him a little bit and you talk a little trash to him and give him a couple shots.

"It's what he did. He turned the ball over. He'll fold. So that's what we were able to do, and I'm pretty sure that's going to haunt him the rest of his career with me telling people over the radio."

Grossman said Benson would prove his critics wrong.

"They don't know what they're talking about," the quarterback said. "Obviously Cedric is one of the hardest runners in the league. I mean, how many times have you seen him come into the hole and knock somebody over? He broke somebody's ankle in Houston. He's a tough, tough running back. He's going to have a great season, too. I just can't wait to see him get on a roll and have a breakout season."

Benson, who carried the ball 1,112 times at Texas without a serious injury but has been injury prone as a pro, seemed miffed that his toughness would be questioned. He said he doesn't know Phillips, doesn't know what his number is, didn't talk to him during the game and doesn't recall being hit by him. But he's looking forward to another meeting.

"I'll run that dude over any day," Benson said. "If I met him in the hole 1-on-1? Any day. Yeah, right. Come on. I don't need to defend myself on being a tough runner."

Benson said some of the Chargers were talking trash during the game, but it wasn't anything unusual, and he dismissed the radio talk as idle chatter.

"What am I supposed to say?" he said. "Some guy's on the radio hyping themself up. I don't care; it doesn't affect me. San Diego talks a lot of trash, that's what they do. They were all being weirdos out there."

Kreutz said the first-game playoff losers of last year overreacted to winning one game.

"You would think they were Super Bowl champs the way they run their mouths," the Bears' center said. "They won one game. Now they're talking about the type of players we have. We'll worry about getting back to the Super Bowl."

If the Chargers do the same, it'll be quite a matchup.