Efton Chism III caught a diving one handed touchdown with 1:50 remaining on Sunday to complete New England’s 29 to 26 comeback win in Buffalo, a play that became the focus of a postgame exchange between the two teams.
What was said about it?
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson dismissed it. He described the catch as a hell of a play by a practice squad player and an elevated guy, said the receiver would probably not be heard from again and suggested the catch would not be repeated. He also said New England had not done anything better than Buffalo, that the Patriots barely scored and struggled throughout, and that he expected to see the same energy in the rematch.
Was the characterisation accurate?
No. Chism joined New England as an undrafted free agent in 2025, made the 53 man roster at the start of last season and has never been on the Patriots’ practice squad. He has appeared in 11 regular season games. The factual error sits at the centre of the dismissal, which is what makes the remarks notable rather than routine.
What is his actual record?
Modest and real. Seven career catches, two of them touchdowns, across those 11 games. That is a marginal roster player by production, which is presumably what prompted the remarks, and it is a different thing from a practice squad player who was elevated for a day.
How did New England respond?
Through its head coach, who pointed at Gardner-Johnson’s own movement between teams, noting he has been on multiple rosters in a short span and would know the drill. Mike Vrabel then praised Chism directly, saying nobody works harder, that he is well respected, that he takes an enormous volume of reps on the scout team and that he logs more distance in practice than anyone the team tracks.
Do the numbers in that exchange hold up?
Not consistently. The coach’s figure for how many teams Gardner-Johnson has played for differs from the figure in the reporting, and the time frames differ too. He has clearly moved frequently, which is the substance of the point, but the specific count should not be relied on from either source.
Why does this kind of thing happen?
Losing a division game on a late catch by an unheralded opponent is among the more galling outcomes available in a season, and postgame remarks made minutes afterward are rarely the speaker’s considered view. The content here is unusual mainly because it was wrong on a checkable fact rather than merely dismissive.
What is the wider context?
Buffalo drops to 3 and 1 and New England improves to 2 and 2, which closes the division considerably. The two meet again in Week 13 in New England, and Gardner-Johnson referenced that rematch directly.
What does it mean for Chism?
A moment rather than a turning point, at this stage. Efton Chism III has seven career receptions and one of them won a division game on the road, which is a reasonable thing for a player in his position to have
