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On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles avoided falling under the .500 mark for the first time since Week 13 of the 2021 NFL season with a hard-fought 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. They trailed 3-0 after three quarters but scored 15 points in the fourth to steal the win.
The loss ended the Saints' perfect start to the season. They were 2-0 coming into their Week 3 battle against the Eagles and had scored 90 points in their first two outings. However, they were completely stifled by the Eagles' defense.
After the game, safety CJ Gardner-Johnson had some choice words for the Saints. Per NFL Network's Bridget Condon, he downplayed New Orleans' impressive wins over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 and Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. He was heard yelling,
"They ain't no contenders. They are pretenders. They have Derek Carr. Remember that."
The veteran quarterback had a dismal game, completing only 14 of his 25 attempts for 142 yards and one touchdown. He had the opportunity to be the hero on the Saints' final drive, but threw an interception to safety Reed Blankenship, ending the home team's hopes of a win.
Gardner-Johnson's comments seemingly stemmed from the frustration that had built up over the course of the game due to a couple of unsportsmanlike plays.
Saints players' questionable behavior vs. the Eagles
Early in the fourth quarter, Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd slammed into Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith helmet-first, knocking him out of the game. Surprisingly, the referees did not throw a penalty flag.
After the hit, defensive end Payton Turner allegedly spit on Smith, leaving fans on social media incensed.
The Eagles players did not hide their frustration after Carr's game-ending interception. Before Gardner-Johnson's remark about the quarterback in the locker room, defensive tackle Jalen Carter riled up Saints fans from the sidelines and got into a heated back-and-forth with Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu.
The Eagles' coaching staff had to physically restrain him from approaching the fans in the stands and the players on the field. The visitors seemingly weren't content with the win and wanted to rub it in the Saints' faces after the hit on Smith.
