Joe Brady had only just heard about the suspension when he walked in for his Monday news conference. The league had suspended Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson for one game without pay for spitting at an opponent during Sunday’s 33-30 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady did not soften it.
“He knows that that can’t happen. That’s inexcusable,” Brady said. “That’s not the standard that we’re going to have and play with. … He’s addressed it. It’s been addressed.”
The league said Gardner-Johnson broke Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which covers “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.” He was ejected late in the first half for spitting toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Buffalo has its bye in Week 7, so the suspension begins on Monday, October 26 and covers the November 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He can rejoin the active roster on November 2, and he has the right to appeal.
“We want to toe the line, but we can’t cross the line”
Brady said the matter was handled in private conversations first and then raised with the whole team. “There’s a lot of private conversations that are to be had,” he said, “and then you naturally address it in front of the team.” He also said it fits a bigger problem. Buffalo was flagged eight times for 77 yards in Las Vegas. “Right now, just in general, we’re having too many penalties,” Brady said. “It’s something that’s showing up that’s going to continue to hurt us, offensively, defensively and special teams.”
The ejection cost the Bills right away. With 19 seconds left in the half, Davison Igbinosun was called for defensive holding, and Gardner-Johnson’s disqualification added 14 more yards on the same play. Matt Gay then kicked a 27-yard field goal as the half ended. “Not only did it give them field position, it allowed them to have an opportunity to go score points at the end of the half, and we lose a player for the rest of the game,” Brady said.
Brady said the club will not add its own discipline on top of the league’s, and that Gardner-Johnson keeps his job. “C.J.’s a member of the Buffalo Bills. We brought him here for a reason,” he said. “He knows that he has to play better. He knows he has to be better for this team.” He also said he does not need every player to have the same temperament. “We want to toe the line, but we don’t want to cross it,” Brady said. “I’m not afraid to have people that are going to try to toe the line in everything that they do. I’m also not afraid to address it when we cross it.” Asked what happens if it happens again, he said: “I’m not going to think like that. We’ll address that if it ever does.”
“We’re zero and zero right now”
The Bills are 5-1 and won’t play again until Baltimore visits. Brady did not want the record to frame the off week. “We’re zero and zero right now. Like, I don’t give a damn about a record,” he said. Asked whether he is happy with the defense, he made it about everyone: “I’m not happy with how the team’s playing right now.” He told the players after the game that their best football has to be ahead of them. “If you’re playing your best football in September, there’s a problem,” he said.
He pushed back on any idea of the offense carrying the defense. He noted that the Rams scored 20 points in the fourth quarter of Buffalo’s previous game and the Raiders scored 17 in the fourth on Sunday, and said the offense left points out there too. “Offensively, kicked too many field goals yesterday,” he said. “Maybe we put that game away.” Tyler Bass made all four of his field-goal tries.
The coaches will spend the bye studying their own team before they look at Baltimore. “We don’t get another bye week, right? So this is the only week we have to really dive into literally everything,” Brady said. “The Buffalo Bills will be the priority.” He said he had not thought about the trade deadline and that he trusts general manager Brandon Beane, who “put together a roster right now that has been five and one.”
Moore, Oliver, Cook and the kickoff team
Receiver DJ Moore and defensive tackle Ed Oliver both missed the game. “I like to think that they’re close,” Brady said, describing “the hope and intent with them to be back next week.” He praised Josh Allen for handling another game without Moore. “With all the changes, Josh not panicking I thought was outstanding,” he said.
James Cook ran 22 times for 95 yards and a touchdown after a week of questions about his fumbles. “I thought his ball security was great yesterday and you can tell he was intentional about it,” Brady said, adding that the Bills will need him “for 20 games and not just six.”
Brady was happiest with the special teams. Ray Davis returned three kickoffs for 85 yards, and Brady called the coverage unit “elite,” saying he could have just shown the team “every kickoff over and over and over.” He also had a joke for punter Tommy Doman Jr.: “I hate when Tommy punts, but he had some elite hang time yesterday.”
Buffalo hosts Baltimore at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, November 1, at 1:00 p.m. EST.
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