Bear Down and woosah.
NFL quarterbacks are under a lot of pressure, both literally and figuratively, every time they step on a football field. Justin Fields might be under more pressure than most, and now he’s finding a way to cope with it.
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The Bears’ second-year QB isn’t off to the best start in 2022, but he’s making a small change that may offer him more success: not to his mechanics or study habits, but to his breathing technique.
Amazon cameras caught Fields on the sideline in a moment of zen during the Bears’ “Thursday Night Football” matchup vs. the Commanders, practicing his “four in, four out” technique:
Justin Fields is all of us watching this game right now pic.twitter.com/ADjDdxuksI
— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) October 14, 2022
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Fields recently explained that he has sought the help of yoga instructors to help with his breathing during the games to keep him level — and to focus on his stamina.
Honestly, if I’m being real, I think it has something to do with my breathing. 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. I don’t even like doing pregame speeches because I feel like I’m so much calmer than everybody else. When the defensive guys are all juiced up ready to go, I just try to stay chill the whole time.
Fields has been focusing on the breathing in recent weeks, in games vs. the Giants and the Vikings. He finished the Week 5 game vs. Minnesota on a heater, going 12-of-13 passing to end the game.
On Thursday, the breathing exercises weren’t paying off for him right away: Fields was 6-for-11 passing for 74 yards and an interception in the first half.
Serenity now, touchdowns later.