Buffalo Bills safety C. J. Gardner-Johnson had a lot to say after the New England Patriots' win, and he took a major shot at one New England player.
After Buffalo took the lead in the fourth quarter, Drake Maye led an impressive drive that was capped off by a 23-yard one-handed touchdown catch by Efton Chism that put the Patriots back ahead. However, when asked why the Bills lost, Gardner-Johnson had a lot to say after the game, including some disrespect that was thrown Chism's way.
"A (practice squad) guy made a helluva catch. Probably won’t happen to him again, respectfully," the safety told reporters in the locker room, per WROC-TV's Thad Brown. "I say that with a lot of confidence because it’s like he didn’t put his confidence in his best
player. … But they won the game, whatever.
"They ain’t do [expletive] 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. They put up, what? 20-something points? They barely scored. They struggled all game.”
So, does this elicit a response from Chism? Well, it shouldn't, because he did all his talking on the field with his performance. Plus, the receiver has never been on the practice squad, having made the 53-man roster last season as an undrafted rookie, as well as this year. Meanwhile, Johnson was on the Ravens’ practice squad for a week.
And after the game, it was clear nothing could phase Chism or the Patriots, with he as well as his teammates talking about his memorable score.
“When I’m out there, and the ball’s in here, I kind of black out. I’m kind of in that little flow state,” Chism said. “I saw it there. Drake gave me an opportunity, and you got to come down with those opportunities. I don’t know how many you get, so I’m just trying to take advantage of all of them."
His efforts, which also included him elevating in the middle of the field just three plays before to haul in a 19-yard catch over Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston, getting the first down and getting inside Buffaloes' 30-yard line, did not go unnoticed.
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs called the touchdown the “snag of the year.”
“Nobody works harder. I mean, plenty of guys work hard," head coach Mike Vrabel said after the victory. "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, and 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.”
As for Drake Maye, he knew it was just a matter of time for Chism as this is what he had been doing throughout the summer and in practice.
“The world may be put on the scene for Chiz, but you guys see it for two years now in training camp,” Maye explained. “He just keeps on doing the right thing, and stays after every day in practice. ‘Hey Drake, you need anything? Hey, I’m here.’ There’s guys late in the building that I see late at night, and it’s Chiz, and he loves this game, and you get what you put into it. And I think you saw that with Chiz.”
Then there's Rhamondre Stevenson, who wasn't quite done talking after the win. As he walked away from the podium, he turned back for one final message:
“Shout out Chiz.”
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Efton Chism answered CJ Gardner-Johnson’s disrespect on the field
