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Javon Wims punches a helmet twice pic.twitter.com/hESxWegifm
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) November 1, 2020
Well that was bizarre. After a mundane Nick Foles pass to Allen Robinson for a 5-yard gain, Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims walked up New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, tapped him on the shoulder, and then punched his opponent twice. Both strikes connected with Gardner-Johnson’s helmet, and it started a pileup as his Saints teammates rallied to Gardner-Johnson’s defense.
In the end the scrap cost Chicago 15 yards of field positioning, and disqualified Wims for the rest of the game. What put Wims over the edge into choosing violence remains unclear, but maybe he’s still salty about Gardner-Johnson big-timing his teammate Tarik Cohen in last year’s meeting. The FOX broadcast team suggested an interaction on the previous series between Gardner-Johnson and another Bears receiver may have sparked it, but it’s uncertain.
Of course we can’t rule out a heated comment from Gardner-Johnson. He’s the feistiest defensive back on the team and has been involved with these donnybrooks before. He was also the player Michael Thomas punched during a frustrating practice session. So it isn’t totally surprising to see him in the middle of such an exchange, nor is it shocking to see him tank those hits to the head. He’s about that action.
At any rate: Foles threw an interception to Marshon Lattimore on the following play, and the Saints used that great starting field position to take the lead on a short Wil Lutz field goal. Maybe they can hold onto it.
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