Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson saw their off-field feud carry onto the field as they met in the divisional round of the 2024 NFL playoffs on Sunday.
Gardner-Johnson won the first on-field battle between the two early in the first quarter. He intercepted Mayfield on Tampa Bay's first possession after Mike Evans tipped a pass from the Buccaneers quarterback into the air.
Gardner-Johnson came down with the tip and managed to log a nifty, 12-yard return to get the ball into Tampa Bay territory. At the end of the play, he flipped the ball in Mayfield's direction, a subtle reminder of the barbs they had traded during media availabilities throughout the week.
Tipped and picked by CJ Gardner-Johnson!
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
📺: #TBvsDET on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/frRD38ClOq pic.twitter.com/YywC0LjHRm
Of course, it's worth noting that the interception wasn't entirely Mayfield's fault. The throw came in a little high, but Evans still had a chance to come down with it.
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Still, Gardner-Johnson's celebration indicates that he is eager to showcase his skillset and prove that he was on the right end of the duo's mini-quarrel.
What did Baker Mayfield and CJ Garnder-Johnson say?
Mayfield and Gardner-Johnson traded barbs in news conferences in the week leading up to the Lions vs. Buccaneers contest.
It all started when Gardner-Johnson took a shot at Mayfield in his analysis of the Buccaneers.
"If you give that Tampa group a good quarterback, that's a great group," Gardner-Johnson said, per the Detroit Free Press. "[Mike] Evans, [Chris] Godwin, [Russell] Gage, that's a great group. I played against them for real."
Naturally, Mayfield didn't take kindly to Gardner-Johnson's assessment. He hit back against the defensive back by noting that he "didn't think [Gardner-Johnson has] really watched film," as Gage has been out for the whole season with a knee injury.
"He must be going off of preseason stuff that the media was talking about," Mayfield said, per ESPN. "I'm excited to see him. I think he's a really good player. He has been for a while. He's been an impactful guy on every team he's been on. So, he's a good player, but yeah ... just got to do a little bit more film study."
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It's worth noting that Gardner-Johnson missed most of the 2023 NFL season after suffering a torn pectoral in Week 2. Many presumed that he was out for the season at that time, so it's possible that he could have been behind on film study as he spent time aggressively rehabbing to get back on the field.
Regardless, that trash talk certainly added an extra layer to the battle between Tampa Bay's offense and Detroit's defense.
However, at least on the first possession, the Lions emerged as the winner on that side of the ball, putting a feather in the cap of Gardner-Johnson.
