There were some critical moments in the Chicago Bears' 24-20 comeback win over the New York Giants in Week 10 action, but one of the new players representing the Windy City made the most critical play.
Late in the fourth quarter, Giants quarterback Russell Wilson and his offense were facing a third and seven at their own 38-yard line when the new guy, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, came up clutch with a sack off the blitz to force the fourth down. New York ended up shanking the punt, and Caleb Williams led the Bears to a game-winning touchdown drive with under two minutes left.
Gardner-Johnson had an even better second game in a Bears uniform than in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, racking up a team-high nine tackles, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and two sacks. After the game, his head coach, Ben Johnson, praised Gardner-Johnson for that play, as it defines the type of player he is.
“I would say this. I gave him one of the game balls… You get football taken away from you, and the last couple of months, that’s his story. Now he’s here with a bunch of guys rooting for him … he’s always been a phenomenal football player. I think he’s found a home here. Our guys are gravitating towards his swagger.”
Gardner-Johnson continues to impress Bears fans with his play
First off, to move from safety to nickel corner is already tough enough, but Gardner-Johnson has made it look so effortless. A big reason for that is that he's so smart, aggressive player who can make a play when needed.
It's rare to see a defensive back have three sacks within a two-game stretch, but those are the numbers Gardner-Johnson is putting up. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been trusted to run more blitzes from Gardner-Johnson to get to the quarterback with ease.
In a year where Bears general manager Ryan Poles has made some mixed moves, he was on the money with bringing in Gardner-Johnson. His impact has been bigger than anything that secondary has seen all season, and they didn't even have to give up a draft pick to get him.
Read more: 3 winners (and 2 losers) from Bears' comeback win over Giants in Week 10
Chicago fans will be keeping a closer eye on Gardner-Johnson to see how he does, but through two games, it might be the best move the team has made all calendar year.