Justin Fields Breathing Easier
Justin Fields can breathe easier, and it has nothing to do with finally getting bigger production in the passing game last week against Minnesota.
Rather, his ability to go 15 of 21 for 208 yards and a touchdown might have come because he is breathing easier.
"Honestly, if I'm being real, I think it has something to do with my breathing," Fields said Tuesday. "I've been working on my breathing during the games, like in slow like four seconds and out slow. I think just doing that automatically keeps me more calm in the pocket and really just during the game."
It might be why running back David Montgomery on Monday said Fields is so calm and it causes him to also be calm.
"I don't even like doing pregame speeches because I feel like I'm so much calmer than everybody else," Fields said. "When the defensive guys are all juiced up ready to go, I just try to stay chill the whole time."
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This has only been going on for a little over a week.
"Actually, yeah, so we have a yoga instructor come in," Fields said. "I don't know if you all know but we have a yoga instructor come in like two days before the game and I kind of just learned it from her.
"Just kind of staying with the breathing stuff. It just allows you to stay calm and working out. So I just kind of try to work on my breathing as much as I can, really."
During the game against the Vikings, his 52-yard touchdown run that was called back due to a penalty made doing this somewhat difficult.
"Like, literally between plays, like after the long run I'll come back and just like slow my breathing down and I feel like I don't get as tired in the game, too," he said. "I think it definitely has a lot of benefits for sure."
So Fields' best career passing game and most accurate passing game had something to do with a yoga instructor. Well, that and the passage of time. Over time, Fields became aware he was rushing things.
"I mean, I think it came with time to be honest with you," he said. "It just came with mistakes. Like I said after the game on Sunday, last year I felt like I had to speed myself up or be crazy pumped-up just because everybody else is.
"But I think playing quarterback, the more you can stay calm, the more you can stay relaxed I think the better you'll play, and like D-Mo (Montgomery) said really just allow my teammates to stay calm in hectic situations or situations that are big, staying calm and act like we've been there before."
Fields is trying to maintain a rhythm in games like he has when it's "routes on air," in practice. This is just a receiver running downfield and a relaxed quarterback throwing to him without defenders involved. Basically, he wants to feel like it's pitch and catch.
"We throw certain routes all day, so pretty much just treat everything like routes on air," he said. "Of course you're going to have to move in the pocket this and that when D-linemen come and stuff like that.
"But as much as possible you just want to stay calm and stay in that rhythm that you have in routes on air when there's not a rush."
And throwing like it's routes on air means breathing the air.
Fields feels like the confidence he gained from last week's successful passing effort in a loss and extra work he and Darnell Mooney are putting in is inspiring teammates to follow their lead.
"When guys see me and Mooney staying late after practice, hopefully that success during game day makes them want to stay after practice and get some extra reps in too," he said.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
