Even those who missed seeing the moment Gardner-Johnson took down Wilson heard it, as a packed Soldier Field shook in applause.
"I was covering, so I actually had my back turned," safety Kevin Byard III said. "I just heard the crowd roar, and I saw him doing his little celebration."
That defensive stand led to a shanked punt by the Giants and eventually, a fourth game-winning drive for Williams and the Bears offense this season, culminating a 24-20 victory to bring them to 6-3.
"It's a blessing. It's God. I thank God for the situation," Gardner-Johnson added.
Johnson made his presence known in his Bears home debut. He finished the game with two sacks, a forced fumble and a team-high nine total tackles.
In the locker room after the game, Gardner-Johnson received his flowers from his new teammates and coaches.
"I mean, he's a heck of a player and we always knew that," Byard said. "So for him to come in and make those plays and help us win ball games, it's huge for us as team.
"I mean, player of the game on defense for sure."
"He's always been a big playmaker," defensive tackle Grady Jarrett added. "Always been on winning teams. A guy that elevates the people around them, however it may look."
Before the locker room opened to the media, Gardner-Johnson shared a special moment with the entire team as coach Ben Johnson awarded him one of two game balls from their sixth victory.
After being released from the Ravens practice squad Oct. 14, and not appearing in a game since Sept. 21 with the Texans, the veteran shared his appreciation for joining the Bears two weeks ago.
"I'm grateful for the group of guys that you guys are," Gardner-Johnson said. "I was home for almost two months, missing ball. And being around this group, y'all brought the love back for me."