Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford has officially missed two practices this week.

The Pro Bowl signal-caller did not attend practice Wednesday or Thursday due to a back injury that sidelined him from Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Stafford is suffering from tiny fractures in his back, similar to the type of injury that Tony Romo sustained during the 2016 preseason. Stafford is also dealing with hip problems, according to NFL.com. Lions coach Matt Patricia said the QB was considered day-to-day ahead of Detroit’s home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Should Stafford miss that game as well, Jeff Driskel is expected to make his second start for the team. In the loss to the Bears, the fourth-year backup QB finished 27-of-46 for one touchdown and one interception.

It’s important to note that Stafford’s injury is more of a re-aggravation than a new impediment. Last season, the QB injured his back in a Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Stafford has also garnered significant attention this week because the NFL is investigating how the Lions handled reporting his back injury in the lead-up to the game against Chicago. The QB had been labeled as “questionable” but was was ultimately ruled out just hours before the matchup began. Stafford told ESPN he believes him sitting out against the Bears was ultimately the correct decision and that he was happy to allow Driskel to replace him for the matchup.

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Stafford was also nominated for a sportsmanship award on Thursday:

The Lions (3-5-1) are fourth in the NFC North.

Peter Schrager, who has been FOX Sports’ sideline reporter for the past few Detroit Lions games, said Tuesday that he has been really impressed with Matthew Stafford, and even added, “Matt Stafford could be the best quarterback in football.”

FOX Sports Analyst Peter Schrager Says Lions’ Matt Stafford Is One Of Best QBs In NFL

Schrager discussed his opinion on “Good Morning Football.”

The Lions (3-3) defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-28. Detroit will next host the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Despite Schrager’s opinion, statistics appear to suggest Stafford may not actually be as good as many other NFL quarterbacks this season, as the Detroit Free Press’s Dave Birkett tweeted:

Stafford has completed 146-of-212 passes for 1,648 yards this season, with 14 TD and four interceptions. His quarterback rating is 106.0 (third in the NFL), far above his career mark of 86.9.

In other Lions news, offensive lineman Brian Mihalik was on the Lions’ practice squad, but the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him to their active 53-man roster on Tuesday morning.

Schrager says Stafford is excelling despite the Lions’ limitations at other offensive positions.

“This is the youngest offensive line in Detroit since 1979,” he says. “It’s all first-, second- or third-year guys.

“The running back situation: Ameer Abdullah, down. Theo Riddick, down. Dwayne Washington, down.”

Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson only had one reception on Monday night, but he made it count. His 19-yard catch put was exactly what he needed to reach the 1000 yard mark; it was the sixth consecutive time and seventh time in his career that Johnson reached the plateau. He also moved into 28th place on the all-time receiving yards list with 11,386.

Outside of Johnson’s milestone, Matt Stafford was the story of the night, as he completed 22 of 25 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. He was also helped by his running game; the struggling duo of Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah combined for two touchdowns and just under 150 yards.

“The guy was phenomenal. He was chasing perfection,” Lions receiver Golden Tate, who caught two of the three touchdown passes said. “We rallied around that.”

“Obviously, if you complete 88 percent [of your passes, like Stafford did], that’s rare,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “It’s very difficult to do that versus air. He was huge for us and spread it around quite a bit.”

For New Orleans, the loss clinched another losing season. Quarterback Drew Brees also picked up a foot injury, but he did not miss a snap.

“I don’t know what exactly we’ve got going on here,” Brees said of his injury. “It was getting stiff, but we were able to manage.”

Photo: Minnesota Vikings cornerback (#21) Josh Robinson guards Detroit Lions wide receiver (#81) Calvin Johnson. Photo by K. Doebler, via Wikimedia Commons