CJ Gardner-Johnson's trash talk is like a 'superpower,' Saints coach says

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Like clockwork, the lights shine bright, the hits come hard, and the tempers flare -- but when CJ Gardner-Johnson is involved, it's a no-contest.

The man simply furnishes an apartment in his opponents' mind and stays there comfortably. When the opponent tries to evict him, the yellow laundry usually flies in their direction.

That was the case in two games against the Bears last season. In each game a Chicago wide receiver was ejected for aiming a punch his direction. Gardner-Johnson wasn't flagged in either instance, but he can't say the same for fines, which he's landed often.

It's an ability that first-year secondary coach Kris Richard likened to a "superpower" while speaking to Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss and analyst Bobby Hebert this week on WWL Radio. Listen to Richard's full interview below. Can't see the player? Click here.

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"It’s kind of like this superpower. That being a nuisance, getting underneath peoples’ skin," Richard said. "It kind of energizes them and it energizes the guys around them. Not a lot of guys know how to do that. They get distracted by it rather than utilizing it to strengthen themselves. It’s a unique gift."

Whether that was truly the case in a Week 15 shutout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs, it certainly appeared that way. At one point, the Saints nickelback stopped short in front of Brady with his arms crossed and glared directly into his face, drawing a confused response from the 7-time champion. Later in the game, he appeared to bait Brady into an interception by throttling down in trail coverage behind Scotty Miller, only to kick it into gear as he easily undercut the ball and snagged it for a game-sealing interception.

Brady was shown running over to the Saints sideline and appeared to yell something not-so-friendly to the bench area after the play. Later the broadcast showed him on his own sideline slamming down the tablets used to review plays throughout the game.

Gardner-Johnson's coach had an apt comparison to the DB's level of trash-talk, and it was one of Brady's current teammates. That'd be Richard Sherman, who was inactive for the game in Week 15. Richard coached Sherman throughout the legion of boom-era defenses with the Seahawks, so he'd know a thing or two about Sherman's abilities both on the field and in opponents' brains.

If you need a refresher, there's a 17-minute video of Sherman's best mic'd up moments that will tell you all you need to know. In the trash-talking community, that's about as high praise as it comes. But there's an important element both players bring.

"These are two guys that can talk with the best of them," Richard said, "but they back it up. That’s really the thing."

But almost as important as backing it up is the backup. The Saints secondary features an array of players that might've rivaled that famed Legion of Boom group, with star cornerback Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby and Paulson Adebo competing for time across from his, and elite safeties in Marcus Williams and Malcolm Jenkins.

It's a group that was without Gardner-Johnson throughout a 5-game losing streak. All it's done in the two games since is hold both the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Bucs without a touchdown for a pair of wins to rekindle the Saints' playoff hopes. It also marked the first shutout of Brady since 2006.

"The No. 1 strength that they all have is knowing who they are, and they're confident in their ability," Richard said. "Obviously playing on the back-end, that's the No. 1 thing you have to have."

Next up for the Saints is another 7-7 team on the rise in the Miami Dolphins, the owners of a 6-game winning streak following a 1-7 start. After a short stint in the final playoff spot, a Vikings victory over the Bears on Monday Night Football dumped the Saints just under the line again. They'll need to stack wins in their final three games for the best chance at a postseason berth despite all the challenges posted by the 2021 season. For that to happen, Richard's secondary must continue to rise up.

And they'll let the other guys hear about it the whole time.

Featured Image Photo Credit: USAT Images