[jwplayer pNgtj2xL-ThvAeFxT]
The Chicago Bears’ wild-card game against the New Orleans Saints had shades of the teams’ meeting in Week 8. And it wasn’t just Chicago’s offensive struggles — they mustered just three points for the first 59:59 on Sunday.
For the second time this year, a Bears wide receiver took the bait from Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and was ejected as a result.
In the first meeting, it was Javon Wims. Gardner-Johnson swiped his mouthpiece, and Wims threw a couple of punches on the next series. He was ejected and suspended for two games.
History repeated itself on Sunday when Anthony Miller was ejected from the game after throwing a punch at Gardner-Johnson in the third quarter after the Saints safety was mouthing off.
#Bears WR Anthony Miller has been ejected for punching/shoving a #Saints player. Guess who he shoved: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
Add him to the list with Michael Thomas and Javon Wims.pic.twitter.com/fWYF7qvJyf
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 10, 2021
You’d think that Miller would’ve learned from what happened with Wims. Miller even addressed the incident last week leading up to the game.
“Guys like that do what they do,” he said.
Gardner-Johnson’s reputation certainly precedes him, and he’s known for taunting receivers on an almost weekly basis — even his teammate Michael Thomas, who threw a punch at him in an October practice.
Matt Nagy said the Bears took the time to reinforce the importance of not responding to Gardner-Johnson’s tactics. On Wednesday, he showed his team clips of Gardner-Johnson taunting other players.
The message was clear: Don’t engage. Miller did anyway.
Matt Nagy said the Bears had a meeting about C.J. Gardner-Johnson, where they studied his actions and told the players to avoid getting into it with him.
Anthony Miller and Gardner-Johnson got into it during the game, and Miller got tossed. pic.twitter.com/MdYmpoAPPR
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) January 11, 2021
After Wims was ejected and suspended for throwing punches, he was lucky to keep his job. Now, Miller has done the same — during a playoff game — and it’s not hard to believe that with his behavior, and his performance this season, that we have seen the last of Miller in a Bears uniform.
[listicle id=465945]