Bear Digest

C.J. Gardner-Johnson's return gives Bears back an unbeaten slot duo

The Bears might be facing Matthew Stafford this week but slot cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson reminds everyone what he and Kyler Gordon did against the Eagles.
Gene Chamberlain|
C.J. Gardner-Johnson (35) and Jaylon Johnson acknowledge the crowd at Soldier Field in the first Bears win over Green Bay.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson (35) and Jaylon Johnson acknowledge the crowd at Soldier Field in the first Bears win over Green Bay. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Anyone who thinks the Bears will hold a big edge on the Rams because of wind chill below zero will be awfully disappointed, according to cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

When it comes to facing the Rams and Matthew Stafford in the divisional playoffs, for Gardner-Johnson, it’s a case of “been there, done that.”

They’re not freezing up like daffodils with the first frost.

“That team is the same team,” Gardner-Johnson reminded.

He meant the same team he faced with the Eagles last year. The Rams and Stafford held their own but lost 28-22 in the snow to Saquon Barkley and Co. last year before Gardner-Johnson was released and eventually wound up in Chicago.

“They were younger last year, a year older now and they’re having a good year this year,” Gardner-Johnson said. “We’re really focused on us.  This team obviously got to the playoffs focusing on us.

“We’re playing against Matt Stafford, one of the guys who’s seen everything done everything.”

And the weather?

“They played in the snow last year in the division round,” he said. “So when you talk about weather, whoop to do.”

Get real says CJ

Gardner-Johnson, perhaps hardened  by his travels from team to team around the NFL, is a realist.

“Weather don’t affect nobody if you ask me,” he said. “I feel like when it’s win or go home that’s what affects you more than the weather. I think when you’re going out there thinking about the climate or the game and it’s like you’re not focused on what’s where your attention should be.  So it is what it is.  

“We had to go to Green Bay and play in colder weather than this so I feel like the best team is focused on assignment, alignment to go out there and win has a chance to win.”

This could be, but weather has affected Stafford in the past. What’s really affected him is playing at Soldier Field.

Stafford has a passer rating at Soldier Field of only 80.48 and has thrown for 16 touchdowns but also a whopping 15 interceptions. He completed 28 of 453 for 3,143 yards. He has five wins in 12 games.

Stafford did complete 26 of 44 for 324 yards with two touchdowns against the Eagles last year in that playoff loss by the Rams in the snow.

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks right now because he’s older, he’s more experienced,” Gardner-Johnson said. “He’s seen everything, from scheming.  We’ve got to really stay within ourselves, trust in each other and really play within our game plan.

“They’ve got a lot of playmakers on that side, the O-line is playing pretty good and they’re rolling right now. Them rolling on the road, they’ll probably have that same edge.”

A plan for both slot corners

As for Gardner-Johnson himself, he will play on defense after missing the last playoff game with a concussion. Kyler Gordon returned to the slot last week but now defensive coordinator Dennis Allen must fit them both into his plan.

“Both of them will have a role, and we'll see how the game plays out,”  Allen said. “But we've got a plan in place for both those players to have a role in all down and distance situations.”

Allen couldn’t complain about Gordon’ play last week, even though analytics site Pro Football Focus had him graded poorly.

“I thought he was playing well,” Allen said of Gordon. “There was a little bit of a rotation going on in the back end in that game. And yet, when we got in the second half, felt like we were playing much better and rolled with the hot hand a little bit.

“So, I thought he did some good things and there's still some things that you see that a guy that really hadn't practiced much, played much, had a lot of experience in the system with us this year. There are some things that we've got to work on, and we got to improve on. But, for first time out in a while, I thought it was solid.”

Gardner-Johnson didn’t sound like splitting time or moving around would be a problem with Gordon back, and reminded everyone of something.

“You got to defend both of us,” he said.

Actually, they’re on defense so you don’t have to defend them at all.

“You seen Philly struggle with both of us when we both played, so it was like, you get another wrinkle,” he said.

The game in Philadelphia was a 24-15 Bears win, and possibly their best defensive performance of this season. They didn’t even need a dramatic comeback then.

More Chicago Bears News

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

X: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.