In Week 1 of the regular season the Buffalo Bills will be traveling to face their kryptonite in the Houston Texans. Of course things have not gone well in Houston for Buffalo, as the team has suffered three straight losses including one in the playoffs. In fact, the Bills have not won in Houston since 2006. This year the meeting will have a little more of an edge due to safety C.J. Gardner Johnson taking on his old team. The question is will he be able to keep his emotions in check?
Gardner-Johnson only managed three games with the Texans at the start of last season before being let go. Coaches felt that he relied too much on his own freelance instincts rather than executing what the team wanted. There was also a lot of friction in the locker room where Gardner-Johnson would blame his teammates for the mistakes taking place on the field. He was asked about his departure at training camp on Thursday and there is certainly no love lost:
Now he will obviously be a ball of fire in this game to start the season, however must keep it professional. The last thing the team would want is Gardner-Johnson picking up a personal foul call that could get him ejected. Another possibly is his desire to make an impact play could result in him being out of position and allowing a big play instead.
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Instead, the Bills will be hoping for the positive impact that could happen with someone playing their former team. We saw it with former receiver Cole Beasley who had arguably the best game of his Buffalo career taking on the Dallas Cowboys in a Thanksgiving matchup back in 2019. If Gardner-Johnson is able to generate a turnover, that could end up being the difference. This could also fire up teammates to have his back and even give just a little more effort.
Are you worried about the emotional aspect of this reunion for Gardner-Johnson or excited for this storyline to unfold?
