New England Patriots fans tuning in to see the division-rival Buffalo Bills got a little treat in the form of schadenfreude when CJ Gardner-Johnson saw his day end early.
Gardner-Johnson, who became public enemy No. 1 in Foxboro for his postgame trash talk following a Week 4 loss to the Patriots, was ejected late in the second quarter for spitting at Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers.
New Patriots Foe CJ Gardner-Johnson Ejected vs. Raiders
Gardner-Johnson and Bowers were seen exchanging words after a play late in the first half following a defensive holding penalty against Buffalo. Moments after that flag was thrown, officials reconvened to deliberate something else. Referee Shawn Smith came back on the microphone to announce the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejection.
CBS replays then showed the two players jawing with each other, and finally, an additional angle showed Gardner-Johnson spitting at Bowers.
Gardner-Johnson quickly became a Patriots rival after New England beat Buffalo on Oct. 4. The journeyman cornerback called Patriots receiver Efton Chism a practice squad player after the wideout scored the game-winning touchdown in Orchard Park.
CBS analyst Nate Burleson couldn’t believe his eyes.
“What are you doing? I get jaw-jacking happens. But you can’t do this. One, it’s childish, it’s immature and it’s unprofessional,” Burleson said during the CBS halftime show.
Revisiting CJ Gardner-Johnson’s Patriots Spat
Unsurprisingly, the Patriots quickly came to Chism’s defense after his Week 4 heroics. Perhaps no one had the receiver’s back more than his head coach, Mike Vrabel, who fired his own shot back at Gardner-Johnson.
“For a guy that’s been on eight teams in four years? I mean, I guess (Gardner-Johnson) knows the drill,” Vrabel said in his weekly interview with WEEI the day after the Bills win.
Chism himself took the high road. Still riding high from the one-handed highlight-reel catch that gave New England the pivotal road win, Chism brushed it aside.
“He’s a great player,” Chism told reporters, per Boston.com. “They’re a great team. I’ve got a bunch of respect for him, but we’re excited for this week, looking forward to the Raiders.”
Coincidentally, Chism has been kept quiet on the field, too, since the Bills win. He did follow up the game-winning score with five catches against Las Vegas, but Chism was kept out of the box score completely in Week 6. He had no catches and was targeted just once in a Patriots win over the Jets.
That being said: It will be interesting to see if he still feels the same way about Gardner-Johnson after the latter’s latest controversy.
Patriots Rival Ejected Vs. Raiders for Spitting at Brock Bowers