The New England Patriots had an unlikely hero on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Trailing as time was running out, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye found Efton Chism in the end zone for an outstanding touchdown catch.
The catch gave the Patriots the lead, which the defense then managed to hold against Josh Allen. It also made Chism a hero around New England. Of course, Buffalo Bills cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who wasn’t in coverage on the play, insisted he wasn’t impressed.
“A practice squad player made a helluva play,” Gardner-Johnson said after the game. “Probably won’t happen to him again, respectfully. I say that with a lot of confidence because it’s like he didn’t put his confidence in his best player. … But they won the game, whatever. They ain’t do s*** better than us. We gotta play better. And they can mark that. We’ll be back, see them again at the end of the year. So, they better have that same energy. They put up, what? 20-something points? They barely scored. They struggled all game.”
Those comments earned some pretty wide pushback. Both for the fact that Chism is a very capable player, and the fact that it felt dismissive to a type of player who is very important around the entire NFL.
For his part, Chism remains important to the Patriots. Undrafted in 2025, he was largely on the practice squad before working his way onto the field for games. That’s a similar position he finds himself in now, providing much-needed depth.
New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Responds to C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Those comments that C.J. Gardner-Johnson made seemed to get back to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. He was able to have a quick laugh about that in hindsight on Monday when he made an appearance on The Greg Hill Show.
“For a guy that’s been on eight teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said.
Now 28 years old, Gardner-Johnson was a fourth-round pick back in 2019. He’s found plenty of success around the NFL, too, having won a Super Bowl and co-led the NFL in interceptions back in 2022.
Of course, as Vrabel pointed out, he’s also played for seven teams, eight if you count two stops with the Philadelphia Eagles. That’s in an eight-year career. Going back the last four, as Vrabel had, it’s only six teams.
The Patriots May Need to Rely on Efton Chism More
Coming into the season, Efton Chism was on the practice squad because the Patriots felt confident in their depth at wide receiver. With injuries, that depth is quickly evaporating and they will likely need to rely on Efton Chism more.
A.J. Brown is the biggest of those injuries, with a sprained ankle. He’s been out since Week 1 and is now targeting a return for as early as Week 6. However, that’s not guaranteed.
Concerningly, Mack Hollins also just went down with his own injury. He left the win over the Bills with a non-contact calf injury. The severity is still up in the air, but non-contact injuries are rarely a good thing.
Chism had 2 receptions for 42 yards and the game-winning touchdown against the Bills. That’s more proof than many will need that he can help the Patriots on offense.
Patriots Mike Vrabel Takes Shot at C.J. Gardner-Johnson for Efton Chism Comments