New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Melina Myers-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots got a massive win on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, as Drake Maye and company came back from a late deficit to get a 29-26 win and get to 2-2 on the season. After the two teams went back and forth for much of the day, Maye found former undrafted free agent Efton Chism III for the go-ahead touchdown with just under two minutes to go.
While Maye made a heck of a throw on the run, Chism's one-handed catch was the play of the day in the NFL yesterday and one of the plays of the year so far. After the game, Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson didn't seem all that impressed, saying that we “probably won't hear from him again” and calling him a practice squad player.
On Monday morning on The Greg Hill Show, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel fired back at Gardner-Johnson.
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel responds to #Bills DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson calling WR Efton Chism a practice-squad player:
“For a guy that’s been on 8 teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill.” 💀
(🎥 @TheGregHillShow) pic.twitter.com/XYAGzBx2Xr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 5, 2026
“For a guy that’s been on 8 teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel fired back.
Gardner-Johnson has bounced around a lot in recent years, but he has been a major factor in a very thin Bills secondary this season. On Sunday, however, that undermanned group in Buffalo was no match for Maye and this Patriots offense.
The third-year quarterback out of North Carolina desperately needed a big day after really struggling with turnovers and general inconsistency over the first three weeks of the season, and he found it in a big way on Sunday. Maye finished 22-of-37 with 269 yards and three touchdowns to just one interception, including the game-winner. He also led the team in rushing, racking up 54 yards on the ground on eight carries.
Chism isn't at the top of the list of players you would expect to be on the receiving end of a game-winning touchdown, but he has become a more reliable contributor with A.J. Brown sidelined due to an ankle injury. He finished with two catches for 42 yards and the game-winner in the fourth quarter.