CJ Gardner-Johnson wasn't a fan of his first extended injury absence of his football playing career, but he spent a lot of it the same way as most fans.
He spent much of the 5-game losing streak yelling at the Saints on TV.
"Nobody likes losing. I don’t like losing," Gardner-Johnson said. "I think when you go in a funk, it don’t just affect the guys on the field. It affects everybody around you."
The firebrand nickel corner suffered his foot injury in a Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and spent the next four games on injured reserve. His return in Week 14 came as the Saints finally snapped that skid with a victory over the Jets. The defense was effective and consistent, failing to force a turnover but playing with energy throughout and keeping the Jets out of the end zone, the second time this season they've accomplished such a feat.
"I don’t watch a lot of football, but I watch us. So watching us and seeing us go through the struggles is like, I know who we really are," Gardner-Johnson said. "It hurt, because you know how much them guys care. So that was just hurting me because I’m all about the team."
The challenge steps up dramatically with a trip to Tampa Bay for a rematch with the NFC South-leading Bucs. For Gardner-Johnson it's also something of a homecoming game. He grew up in Cocoa, Florida, just a trip across the panhandle from where the Saints play on Sunday, and played even closer for the Florida Gators in college.
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But despite the recent success for the Saints against the Bucs, with wins in their past four matchups, the Tom Brady challenge never gets any easier. And when it comes to a quarterback as talented and intuitive as Brady, it's never as simple as it seems.
"It’s not about Xs and Os with him sometimes. It’s about understanding the preparation that goes into the game. Because you’ve got to think about it. This guy can call your bluff from 3 hours before the game," he said. "You don’t want nobody calling your bluff before the game. So you’ve got to make sure you prepare so when you step on the field you can keep him on his toes, keep him on the edge. Because if he can pick you apart like [a snap], it’s gonna be a long game.”
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