New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel asks his players to take advantage of any and every opportunity they receive.
That’s exactly what wide receiver Efton Chism III did on Sunday against the previously-unbeaten Buffalo Bills.
When receiver Mack Hollins departed the game in the third quarter with a calf injury, Chism was thrust into a larger role, playing a season-high 34 offensive snaps.
With the Patriots trailing with three minutes remaining, Chism climbed the ladder to make a 19-yard catch.
Three plays later, Chism struck again. This time, he fully extended to snag an incredible one-handed touchdown that proved to be the game winner.
“Snag of the year, man,” fellow wide receiver Romeo Doubs said. “I watched the kid work all week. I’m just blessed to be around someone like him.”
“When I’m out there and the ball is in the air, I kinda black out. I’m kinda in that little flow state,” Chism said. “Saw it in the air. Drake gave me an opportunity and you got to come down with those opportunities. You don’t know how many you’re going to get.”
Throughout his first two years in New England, Chism has drawn consistent praise from coaches and teammates for his work behind the scenes. The routine he has established has helped prepare him for moments like Sunday — as Chism wasn’t even on the field when the Patriots practiced the play call that ultimately resulted in his game-winning catch this past week.
“Nobody works harder,” Vrabel said. “There are plenty of guys who work hard, but I mean, Chiz is literally in [wide receivers coach] Todd Downing’s office before 6 o’clock every morning, if not 5:30, getting the game plan down to know every position.
“He’s an extremely hard worker. His toughness, his routine, it’s really cool to see guys like that take advantage of their opportunities and obviously stepping up in a critical situation is what this league is about.”
An undrafted free agent out of Eastern Washington, Chism made the Patriots’ 53-man roster as a rookie last year after an exceptional training camp performance.
That trend continued this summer as he once again worked his way onto the roster, but he was a healthy inactive in Week 1. A.J. Brown’s injury then thrust him onto the game-day roster, and Hollins’ injury — coupled with Chism’s performance Sunday — could position him for a larger workload moving forward.
“I got two touchdowns to Chiz and he’s got two one-handers. So it’s a good trend we got going,” Drake Maye said. “You guys see him in training camp. The world may be putting on the scene for Chiz but you guys have seen it for two years now.
“Just keeps on doing the right thing. Stays after everyday in practice, says ‘Hey Drake you need anything? I’m here.’ There’s guys late in the building that I see and it’s Chiz. He loves this game and you get what you put into it. I think you saw that with Chiz.”
