Even with the Saints set to face the Falcons in this heated rivalry at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caesars Superdome, safety CJ Gardner-Johnson said wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s mental well-being was bigger than football.
“You just pray that he gets better mentally and everyone around him in the league gathers around him as brothers,” Gardner-Johnson said to the New Orleans media Wednesday. “Outside its football stuff. Mentally, we have to make sure we check on each other (as players).”
Ridley did not play against the Panthers on Sunday. The team found out he would not play the day of the game after he’d practiced all week. He missed an earlier game against the Jets on Oct. 10 in London to address what was then called a “personal matter.”
“So, I’d rather pray for him to forget football and make sure he’s fine and his family is fine,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I know he’s got a brother (Riley), so I hope they’re together making sure he’s doing well. We’re not focused on what their offense is losing, just hoping our NFL brothers can get his thoughts back together and come back to the center point and play football again whenever he’s ready to.”
Gardner-Johnson is one of the Saints’ colorful characters, but he was serious on the Ridley matter.
He was he had to say on some other issues:
What impresses you about Kyle Pitts? “Let’s play. At halftime, I did some talking and guess I got crucified for saying something about the Dome. So, I’ll see y’all Sunday. I’m not going to say anything, I’m not stressing about anything. Let’s play football.”
Can you explain what you saw on your interception Sunday off of Tom Brady? “I call it baby goat. I saw baby goat just floating and had to go save him. I was jamming my receiver on an island, and I saw little baby goat floating in the waters and had to go pick him up.”
You described yourself in training camp as being cocky about this defense. How much do you and the defense embrace carrying the load of this team, especially now with losing Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas for the season? “I’m still cocky. I don’t know what you want me to tell you. They said the best defense was going to show up last Sunday. We’ll show up again. I just pray that both of my teammates get healthy and get back fast so they can be a part of the team, a part of the wins, and on the field as much as possible. But, as far as the defense as a whole, we just need to make sure we do our part and make sure the absences that you guys’ notice don’t look so big.”
Did you notice a difference in the defense with Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata back in the lineup? “To be honest with you, yes and no. Yes, because they’re impact players and no, because I have to focus on my job. With that being said, I’m just glad they’re back. With David on the inside and Davenport on the edge, it gives us more firepower to go into the game with to keep the guys fresh. We’re pretty deep up front, so keeping guys rolling, keeping this going, and we’ll be fine.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Bye Week
Next Four Games
Falcons at Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 7
Falcons at Cowboys, 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14
Patriots at Falcons, 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18
Falcons at Jacksonville, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 28
