Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud punched Philadelphia Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson for yanking his mouthpiece during Monday night's NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field.
It happened with two minutes remaining in the second quarter as the Eagles held a 7-3 lead. McCloud had just caught an 18-yard reception to give the Falcons 1st-and-10 on the Eagles 23-yard line. McCloud gave the first down signal and appeared to say something to Gardner-Johnson. In response, Gardner-Johnson decided to give a little tug on McCloud's mouthpiece. That seemed to upset McCloud, as he punched Gardner-Johnson in the facemask.
CJ Gardner-Johnson yanked Ray-Ray McCloud’s mouthpiece off and then got the flag called on McCloud😂 pic.twitter.com/uW4APSFNPG
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 17, 2024
The punch by McCloud took place right in front of an official, who immediately threw the penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. McCloud has to keep his head in that situation. You cannot make contact with an opposing player after the whistle blows. Not to mention that it's pretty silly to punch an opponent in the head when they are wearing a helmet.
Most importantly, this serves as an important lesson for McCloud and fans at home. When it comes to these types of situations, it's always the second guy that gets caught.
The Falcons managed to overcome the penalty and score a field goal to close out the drive and reduce the Eagles lead to 7-6.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
