Sauce Gardner on his absence in the first half: I was taken away from the air

The absence of Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner from the field during a 49ers drive and the team's strange explanation for it led to some discussion in the second quarter on Monday night.

The Jets told ESPN that Gardner did not leave the game because of an injury, and they did not provide further details about why he watched Brock Purdy complete six straight passes and put the 49ers in position for a field goal. Gardner returned for the final few snaps of that drive and played without further issues in the 32-19 loss.

After the game, Gardner said he ran out of steam.

“That was a tackle that I made. I just had to get my wind back,” Gardner said of SNY. “I just had to back off. When I felt like I was OK, I got back on the field.”

The Jets also struggled to stop the 49ers with Gardner on the field, as the 49ers scored eight straight points after an early three-and-out. That wasn't the result they expected, and they're hoping the entire unit has a little more momentum going into game two against the Titans.