Sauce Gardner claps back after video shows A.J. Brown dusting him during 1-on-1 drill
New England Patriots
“All this from a 1-on-1 rep? 😂 & a 8 yard sit route at that?” Gardner wrote.
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Sauce Gardner has responded to criticism on social media after video clips showed A.J. Brown beating him in a 1-on-1 drill.
Cameras captured Brown catching an 8-yard comeback route from Drake Maye while Gardner was covering the Patriots receiver. Gardner slipped as he tried to keep up with Brown and had to put his hands on the turf to stay on his feet. Brown made the open catch, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The clips got fans and critics talking on X. Gardner posted the following response on his account.
“All this from a 1-on-1 rep? 😂 & a 8 yard sit route at that?” Gardner wrote. “It’s a reason y’all that’s the only one y’all saw 😴🔒. “
Both Gardner and Brown were involved in trades recently. The Colts swapped a pair of first round picks for Gardner in 2025. The Patriots sent a first-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Brown this past June.
So, there was some anticipation for the matchup between the three-time Pro Bowl receiver and the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback during joint practice on Tuesday.
The 1-on-1 clip provided a snippet of engaging content, but it did not tell the full story of what happened on the field.
That was the only rep that saw Gardner and Brown face off in 1-on-1s. During team drills, however, both of Maye’s passes to Brown that had Gardner in coverage were incomplete. Brown had several catches throughout the day, just not when Gardner was on him.
Gardner eventually deleted the social media post. Brown has not commented publicly on the video.
The Patriots and Colts will open the preseason against each other on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
Coach Mike Vrabel said Maye is not expected to play, noting that the point of joint practices is for frontline players to get reps in without having to play in preseason games. Brown likely won’t play much, if at all.
The Patriots and Colts will not play each other during the regular-season, which means the next matchup between the two teams would be in the playoffs, if both teams make it.
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