Eagles Ex C.J. Gardner-Johnson Blasts Super Bowl Turf Issues vs. Chiefs: 'Run That Back!'
Nearly five months have passed since the Philadelphia Eagles' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, but one of the game's main storylines still persists.
Of course, that storyline is the poor quality of the turf at State Farm Stadium. Fans noticed players from both teams slipping throughout the game, raising questions about how it affected the game. Players have been vocal as well, with Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham claiming the Chiefs' offensive line "got blessed."
On Monday, another Eagle, albeit a former one, chimed in on the matter. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who left Philadelphia and signed with the Detroit Lions this offseason, echoed Graham's sentiment and claimed the Eagles' defensive line would've "smashed" Kansas City's o-line with better field conditions.
"Run that bowl back on legit grass, the Dline SMASH that Oline I’m sorry," Gardner-Johnson wrote.
Gardner-Johnson's quote likely comes in response to a report from Pro Football Talk that claimed that the NFL internally blamed players for wearing the wrong shoes, which led to the slipping. This is despite the fact that some Eagles players changed cleats during the game, yet the slipping continued.
Looking at it closer, the Eagles' pass rush was the best in the NFL with 70 sacks in the regular season, 15 more than the next-closest team. Despite that, they couldn't muster a single sack on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was playing with a bad ankle, throughout the entire game. Kansas City was one of the best pass-protection teams in the league, allowing just 26 sacks all season, but the poor field conditions likely played some part in Philadelphia's lack of pressure.
Of course, Gardner-Johnson has also been a vocal trash-talker throughout his career, so it's no surprise to see him chime in and take a shot at the Chiefs.
The Eagles will get a chance at payback when they visit the Chiefs in a Monday Night Football matchup on Nov. 27. Gardner-Johnson will get a chance even sooner, as his Lions visit Kansas City in the season opener on Sept. 7.
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