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Calvin wasn't even trying to catch the Hail Mary, he came straight for CJ pic.twitter.com/xQ0J3aMcCd
— seth galina (@pff_seth) December 6, 2020
We’re pretty sure this isn’t how you coach players to compete on an end-of-game pass attempt. Backed up well out of scoring range and desperate to avoid a loss, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan heaved a deep shot downfield against the New Orleans Saints defense, clustered in the end zone around his receivers. But the numbers weren’t in his favor, and the ball was deflected, bouncing off players’ hands and helmets before falling harmlessly to the ground, ending the game and promising a Saints win.
If Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley had kept his head on a swivel, he might have had an opportunity to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat. The football remained alive for four seconds as players from both teams tried to secure it. But Ridley had his eyes on something else: a cheap shot at Saints defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
As Gardner-Johnson joined everyone around him in positioning to try and catch Ryan’s final throw of the day, Ridley turned around, put his back to the football, and instead shoved Gardner-Johnson while throwing an arm into the safety’s torso as they both fell away from the action. They were fortunate to avoid injury in the scrum that followed.
And Ridley’s decision to not compete for the live ball might have cost his team a win. He’s one of the better wideouts you’ll see playing on Sundays, and the former first round draft pick had already snagged 5 catches for 108 yards on the day, leading Atlanta in receiving. But with a chance to make a difference and possibly tie the game, he instead chose violence.
That’s the sort of emotions Gardner-Johnson inspires in his opponents. The fiery second-year pro out of Florida has quickly built a reputation as one of the chirpiest players in the league, constantly ribbing his rivals and getting involved with extracurriculars after the play; remember the sucker punches he met with an all-time no-sell from Bears receiver Javon Wims earlier this season? And that doesn’t even get into his scrap with Michael Thomas in practice, though both teammates have since mended fences.
Whatever Gardner-Johnson is saying and doing to these receivers is working. It’s safe to say that if he played for, say, the Falcons or Panthers or any other team, that Saints fans would have as much ire for him as other talkative standouts that came before him like Steve Smith or Roddy White. But it’s great to have someone like him on the Saints’ side for once.
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