UNC Football Alumni in NFL: Mitchell Trubisky has Chicago Bears in prime position

Chicago Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky has given the team at least a chance to win the NFC North and make the playoffs all while silencing some critics

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is playing some of the best football in his short career with the Chicago Bears and it’s coming at the right time.

Just days after it seemed like the entire national media was slamming the quarterback for his play, Trubisky turned in a career-best performance in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions. The 34-22 Bears win set them up in a good spot at 6-3 with a showdown for first place in the NFC North ahead.

Chicago hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2010 season but that could change this year in large part due to Trubisky’s play.

Trubisky has thrown for 2,304 yards, 19 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions while rushing for an additional 320 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his past 6 games, Trubisky has 17 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns while throwing just 4 interceptions.

The quarterback is not only protecting the football better but he’s making the key plays when needed.

He’s been a big reason why the Bears will enter Sunday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings at 6-3 and atop the NFC North in first place. A Bears win on Sunday gives them a 1 1/2 game lead in the division with just six games left.

Last week ESPN’s Bill Barnwell and former NFL GM Michael Lombardi took it upon themselves to rip Trubisky. Barnwell called him the Blake Bortles of the NFC North while Lombardi said he wouldn’t take Trubisky even on a discount rack.

They also pointed out a lot of his completions for touchdowns come on screen passes. But I really don’t see the problem with that. Some of the best quarterbacks this season have thrown a lot of screen passes and those attempts are part of Matt Nagy’s system in Chicago.

Still, the national criticism hasn’t bothered the quarterback. Here’s what he said following the Week 10 win over the Lions:

"I don’t say anything. I don’t listen to it, I don’t hear it so I don’t say anything I don’t care one bit. The only thing I care about is Coach Nagy what he has to say, what my teammates have to say and what they think of me and I know there’s been talk and noise going on this week, I didn’t hear it directly, but I heard my teammates having my back and that’s the only thing I care about and that’s what means the world to me. My teammates had my back. People are talking on 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 and I just want to play that much better and play the way I know how because I know those guys in that locker room and my head coach and my coaches and all my teammates got my back."

Trubisky has begun to play like the quarterback the Bears hoped they would get when they traded up to draft him No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

With a really good defense led by Khalil Mack, the offense can take this team to the next level by elevating their play. If they do, Chicago could be a legit playoff contender come January.

For now, Trubisky just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing.