Bears QB Mitch Trubisky named NFC offensive player of the week

Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky is the NFC offensive player of the week.

He took home the honor onWednesday after going 23-for-30 for a career-best 355 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears’ 34-22 home victory against the Lions. He also had a four-yard touchdown run.

“I thought Mitch probably had his best game of the season — without a doubt,” coach Matt Nagy said after the game. “He was on fire. He was efficient, threw the ball with conviction. His eyes were great. [I’m] really super proud of him for coming out and playing that way. He played confident, and I like that.”

Trubisky’s 148.6 passer rating Sunday was his second-best mark of his career, trailing the 154.6 he had Sept. 30 in a 48-10 rout of the Buccaneers at Soldier Field.

He threw for 354 yards and six touchdowns in that victory but he didn’t win the award that week, losing out to Rams quarterback Jared Goff.

The Bears’ victory against the Lions certainly was more important, though. It was their first win in the NFC North since Halloween 2016 (a 20-10 victory against the Vikings at Soldier Field).

In the first half against the Lions, Trubisky completed 14 of 16 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 158.3 passer rating as the Bears took a 26-0 lead in the second quarter.

“It would probably be one of my best games,” Trubisky said afterward. “I just felt really comfortable out there. I thought the [offensive] line played fantastic, and we got open on the outsides.

“It was just me doing my job, sitting back there and getting the ball to the playmakers. So I just felt really comfortable. I put the ball where it needed to go, and it’s all a credit to my teammates and the work we put in in practice.”

Trubisky, who is expected to speak to reporters later Wednesday, is facing perhaps his toughest challenge this season Sunday night: a home game in prime time against the Vikings that will bring the NFC North race into clearer focus. The Bears then travel to Detroit, where they’ll play the Lions on Thanksgiving.

In nine games this season, Trubisky has completed 190 of 290 passes (65.5 percent) for 2,304 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 101.6 passer rating. He ranks fourth in ESPN’s total QBR rankings. Trubisky also has run for 320 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries this season.

Trubisky’s outstanding performance against the Lions came after he was criticized by national writers/analysts and rated as one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league by Pro Football Focus.

“I heard my teammates [had] my back, and that’s the only thing I care about — and that’s what means the world to me,” Trubisky said after defeating the Lions.

“People are talking on the outside, but I don’t even hear it. I’m just going to go about my business, do my job, and my love for my teammates grows even stronger that way. I just want to play that much better.”