The Buffalo Bills survived a wild shootout with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, pulling out a 37-34 overtime win. But while Josh Allen and the offense did enough to escape with the victory, Buffalo’s defense gave fans plenty to worry about.
That frustration spilled onto social media after C.J. Gardner-Johnson posted a two-word reaction to the win.
Bills Fans React to C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s Post After Rams Win
Gardner-Johnson exited Monday night’s game with a right leg injury sustained in the third quarter while trying to bring down Rams running back Blake Corum.
Corum broke through Buffalo’s defense for a 34-yard catch-and-run before Gardner-Johnson managed to wrestle him to the ground.
However, the safety remained on the field after the tackle and pointed toward his right leg as the Bills’ athletic trainers rushed over to assess the injury.
Following Buffalo’s overtime win, Gardner-Johnson took to X and shared a brief message. “Bills Mafia,” Gardner-Johnson wrote, in a two-word victory lap.
Bills fans saw that as a sign to flood Gardner-Johnson’s comments, with many praising his performance.
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“Way to fight,” a fan wrote.
“Keep fighting back there, CJ,” another added.
“Hope you’re okay, dude!” a third fan said.
Monday’s injury scare came after Gardner-Johnson dealt with a setback during Buffalo’s training camp. He suffered a calf injury in practice, raising questions about his availability for the start of the season.
However, he recovered in time to suit up for Week 1.
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On Monday night, Gardner-Johnson returned in the fourth quarter and finished with six tackles, but that did little to ease fans’ frustration with Buffalo’s defense.
The Bills’ secondary drew particular criticism for its inability to contain Los Angeles’ passing attack.
“Stay off social media until you can cover. The secondary is the worst in the NFL,” a frustrated fan remarked.
Gardner-Johnson entered Monday night’s matchup ranked No. 11 with a PFN Safety Impact Score of 84.6, but his night against the Rams included several controversial moments.
In the second quarter, with Los Angeles facing first-and-goal at Buffalo’s 4-yard line, Matthew Stafford found Davante Adams for a touchdown. Adams beat Gardner-Johnson on a corner route before taunting the Bills safety.
Gardner-Johnson was also involved in a separate incident with Rams tight end Tyler Higbee. While trying to make a play on the ball, he made contact with Higbee around the head area, drawing a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.
The Super Bowl-winning safety should be available for Week 6 when the Bills visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Oct. 18.
He will have a chance to silence some of his critics with a stronger showing than the one he had against the Rams.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.