sportingnews
The New England Patriots salvaged their season on Sunday, defeating the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills on the road to keep pace in the AFC East. The victory was fueled by an unlikely hero: rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III, whose spectacular touchdown grab gave New England a lead it would not surrender.
After the game, Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson wasted little time dismissing Chism's contribution. Gardner-Johnson referred to Chism as a "practice squad player" and told reporters, "Probably won't hear from him again." While he acknowledged the catch was a "hell of a play," he added that Chism "probably won't do it again" if given another opportunity.
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Gardner-Johnson also criticized the Patriots' decision not to target wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who he considers the team's top receiver with A.J. Brown injured. "He didn't put his confidence in his best player," Gardner-Johnson said, though it remains unclear whether he was referring to quarterback Drake Maye, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, or head coach Mike Vrabel. Despite the loss, Gardner-Johnson remained defiant: "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."
Chism, who has never been on a practice squad, posted the highlight of his young career with the touchdown. The former undrafted free agent had 75 yards on three catches as a rookie and entered Sunday with -1 yard through three games this season. With Brown sidelined for at least one more game, Chism appears to have earned Maye's trust—even if Gardner-Johnson is struggling to accept it.
Originally reported by sportingnews.