Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Fires Back at CJ Gardner-Johnson After Efton Chism III Comments

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had a sharp response for Buffalo Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson after the defensive back dismissed Efton Chism III following Sunday’s game.

The Patriots pulled off one of their biggest wins of the season against the Bills, overcoming a late deficit to secure a thrilling 29-26 victory. The result moved New England to 2-2 on the season.

The game remained competitive throughout, but the decisive moment came with less than two minutes remaining. Quarterback Drake Maye connected with former undrafted free agent Efton Chism III for the go-ahead touchdown, giving the Patriots the lead.

Maye’s throw while on the move was impressive, but Chism’s remarkable one-handed grab quickly became one of the most memorable plays of the NFL weekend.

Gardner-Johnson, however, didn’t appear particularly impressed by the young receiver’s performance. After the game, the Bills safety suggested that Chism was unlikely to remain relevant, saying fans would “probably won’t hear from him again” while referring to him as a practice-squad player.

Vrabel responded to those comments Monday morning during an appearance on The Greg Hill Show.

“For a guy that’s been on 8 teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said.

Gardner-Johnson has indeed moved between several teams during his NFL career. Despite that, he has become an important part of a Buffalo secondary that entered the season dealing with a lack of depth.

Unfortunately for the Bills, their depleted defensive backfield struggled to contain Maye and the Patriots’ offense on Sunday.

Drake Maye Delivers His Best Performance of the Season

Maye entered the matchup under pressure to turn things around after an inconsistent opening three weeks that included costly turnovers.

The third-year quarterback from North Carolina responded with arguably his strongest performance of the season.

Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, throwing just one interception. Most importantly, one of those touchdown passes went to Chism for the game-winning score.

Maye also made an impact with his legs, leading New England in rushing with 54 yards on eight carries.

Efton Chism III Continues to Make an Impact

Chism may not have been the obvious candidate to deliver a game-winning touchdown, but his role in the Patriots’ offense has grown as the team deals with A.J. Brown’s absence because of an ankle injury.

The young receiver finished Sunday’s game with two receptions for 42 yards, including the spectacular fourth-quarter touchdown that ultimately decided the contest.

After making the biggest play of the game, Chism has quickly become one of the emerging contributors in New England’s offense—and Vrabel clearly isn’t concerned about Gardner-Johnson’s prediction that we may not hear from him again.