Bills safety ejected after umpire reports spitting incident

Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected late in the first half of the team’s 33-30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders after an umpire reported seeing him spit on an opponent, referee Shawn Smith said after the game. Smith said umpire Tra Blake witnessed Gardner-Johnson spit during an exchange between players. The officials assessed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and disqualified the safety. Smith said the call did not depend on where the spit landed. Video appeared to show Gardner-Johnson spitting toward Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. The incident followed an exchange between the two after an incomplete pass, with 19 seconds remaining before halftime. Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum was also in the area, according to the game account. Gardner-Johnson did not explicitly confirm or deny spitting when asked about the incident after the game. He said he let his emotions get the better of him, hurt his team and needed to control himself. He described the exchange as an argument in the heat of competition and said the gesture was not warranted. The safety said he had spoken with Bills coach Joe Brady, apologized to his teammates and would accept a fine or other...