Baker Mayfield fires back after stray from Gardner-Johnson: Needs to do 'more film study'

The war of words is on, even if it was started involuntarily.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield responded to a dig Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson took at him last week before the Lions-Bucs playoff rematch was set.

Gardner-Johnson was talking about the Los Angeles Rams receiving duo of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp before last week's playoff opener when he compared the unit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiving corps of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.

"This group probably is one of the better groups we done faced all year, besides that Tampa group,” Gardner-Johnson told a small group of reporters last week. “If you give that Tampa group a good quarterback, that’s a great group. Evans, Godwin, Gage, that’s a great group. I played against them for real."

Gardner-Johnson missed the Lions' 20-6 win over Tampa in Week 6, but spent his first three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where he played Evans, Godwin and Gage (then with the Atlanta Falcons) twice a year in the NFC South.

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Evans had his 10th straight 1,000-yard receiving season this year and led the NFL with 13 touchdown catches, and Godwin topped 1,000 yards for the third straight season and fourth time in his career, but Gage has not played this season because of injury.

Asked about Gardner-Johnson's comments in his weekly news conference Wednesday, Mayfield, who led the Bucs to a first-round upset of the Philadelphia Eagles to set up Sunday's showdown at Ford Field, said the Lions safety needs "to do a little bit more film study."

“I don’t think he’s really watched film cause he mentioned Russell Gage," Mayfield told reporters. "We love Russell, but Russell hasn’t played a snap all year for us. He must be going off the preseason stuff that the media was talking about. But he didn’t play our first game so I’m excited to see him. I think he’s a really good player, he has been for a while and he’s been an impactful guy on every team he’s been on. So he’s a good player, but yeah, just got to do a little bit more film study."

Gardner-Johnson has 11 tackles and one interception in two games since returning from a torn pectoral muscle that kept him out most of the season. He's played as part of a three-safety rotation in his return, splitting time with Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kerby Joseph.

Mayfield was listed as a full participant on Tampa's estimated injury report Wednesday after practicing sparingly last week with ankle and rib injuries. Mayfield threw for career-highs 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns this season, his first in Tampa, but was 19 of 37 passing with an interception and three missed touchdowns in his first game against the Lions in October.

"The way he’s playing right now, he’s an issue and he gets rid of the ball fast," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "He’s accurate with it and if you don’t push the pocket on him, he can make these throws and he’s got receivers that can make plays on the ball, in the air and run-after-catch. So, look, I’ve always been a Baker fan from afar."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Baker Mayfield: Lions' C.J. Gardner-Johnson needs 'more film study'