CJ Gardner-Johnson on Efton Chism: Practice squad player made one hell of a play

The Patriots beat the Bills on Sunday, but Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson didn’t give the Patriots much credit for the victory after the game.

Patriots receiver Efton Chism’s one-handed catch in the end zone with less than two minutes left gave his team a 29-26 victory. Gardner-Johnson called Chism a fringe NFL player and doubted he would be able to do it again while making it clear he didn’t place much importance on how the outcome reflected both teams.

“We don’t deal with bulletin board material. A high guy did quite a catch” Gardner-Johnson said, via WROC’s Thad Brown. “I probably won’t hear from him again. Respectfully. I say this with great confidence. because it’s like (Maye) didn’t trust his best player. He would have thrown it at Doubs or someone, but they won the game. Either way, they didn’t do any better than us. We have to play better. They can mark it, we’ll come back and see them again. . . . A player from the practice squad made a hell of a play. If you do it again, he probably won’t do it again. Simple.”

In reality, Chism never spent any time on New England’s practice squad. Gardner-Johnson’s travels around the league included a stint on the Ravens’ practice squad last season, something Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel appeared to be referring to Monday on WEEI.

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

The two teams will meet again in New England in Week 13 and the scoreboards in both locker rooms may reference the back and forth leading up to that one.