In Week 16, CJ Gardner-Johnson was ejected from the Philadelphia Eagles’ game against the Washington Commanders after recording his second personal foul call of the game… and then his team lost.
Now granted, the Eagles didn’t lose because CJ GJ wasn’t on the field, at least not fully, as their defense fell apart down the stretch, and Zach Baun gave up that final touchdown that ultimately decided the game in coverage. Still, the experience of watching his team secure the loss while he was in the locker room was not one Gardner-Johnson wanted to experience again, which is why he was able to keep his passion in check against the Dallas Cowboys on the way to an NFC East securing W.
Discussing what he’s learned from the experience, Gardner-Johnson told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he doesn’t want to put his team at risk with his actions again, as his presence is vital on the field when it counts.
“Nah … you get what you get. You get the hand you were dealt I think it was a learning lesson,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I got to grow the h*ll up because this team obviously needs me when I’m here. I ain’t saying like in a way as though I’m a superstar. My presence is being out there with the guys and having fun. It hurt me not being out there and see them losing. We could have clinched the week before. But had to step up and look myself in the mirror, understand this is a team game, not a me game.”
Fortunately for the Eagles, Gardner-Johnson showed up and showed out in Week 17, and they came out the victors as a result. While, again, it wasn’t all on him, his presence was very much felt indeed.
Nick Sirianni praises CJ Gardner-Johnson for setting the Week 17 tone
Discussing Gardner-Johnson’s big interception early in the Eagles win, Nick Sirianni noted that it was a huge momentum shifter and helped to set the tone for a dominant victory.
“That was really big. Got momentum going early. We didn’t start off great on offense. I think we had two three-and-outs after that. But any time you can create turnovers on defense, that’s special. We talk a lot about it, and these guys pour everything into it. You can really see them coming after the football. What’s so impressive about Chauncey [C.J.] is when he gets his hands on the football, he finishes, and that’s a special talent that he has,” Sirianni told reporters.
“Thinking about when he had the interception last week, where it was low on the ground, he had to double catch it to catch it, but he still finds a way to do it, and then he finds a way to do that. He did something like that in practice. I give a lot of credit to the coaches of them putting players in that position. We had that play that we looked at and did in practice, and Chauncey was right there the same way. It didn’t end up in an interception, but he ended up in a really good spot. We really talked about that. So, credit to the coaches for putting him in that position, but the most credit goes to the players for making the plays in those scenarios. But that’s what’s so cool about this game, right? It’s a team game. I just thought it was big. Chauncey responded in a big way, making big-time plays today.”
Would the Eagles have won the game without CJ GJ’s pick? Yeah, take seven points off the board, and it’s still a commanding Philly win. But as Sirianni noted, it was a certified tone-setter, as the Eagles got points on the board and the crowd on their side and never looked back from that point on.
