Mike Vrabel apparently heard what CJ Gardner-Johnson had to say after the New England Patriots knocked off the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
And on Monday, the Patriots head coach decided to return the serve.
New England escaped with a 29-26 victory, snapping Buffalo’s three-game winning streak and giving the Patriots a badly needed response after their miserable 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3.
But Gardner-Johnson wasn’t exactly handing out compliments afterward.
The Bills safety declared that New England “didn’t do s–t better than us” and took a shot at Patriots receiver Efton Chism, referring to him as a “practice-squad player” after Chism made one of the biggest plays of the afternoon.
Mike Vrabel Takes Shot at CJ Gardner-Johnson After Patriots Win
Vrabel had a response ready.
“For a guy that’s been on eight teams in four years? I mean, I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said with a laugh during his Monday radio appearance.
That one landed.
And here’s the thing: Gardner-Johnson’s description of Chism wasn’t even accurate.
Chism, an undrafted second-year player, has been on New England’s 53-man roster since 2025. He has never been on the Patriots’ practice squad. He has simply been getting more opportunities this season with star receiver A.J. Brown dealing with an ankle sprain.
On Sunday, Chism made one of those opportunities count in a very big way.
Efton Chism Delivers Huge Touchdown Catch for New England
With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, quarterback Drake Maye went his way, and Chism hauled in a one-handed touchdown catch that put New England ahead.
Not bad for a guy Gardner-Johnson apparently didn’t expect anyone to hear from again.
Chism, for his part, wasn’t interested in firing back. He was much more interested in talking about Maye.
“We all believe he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Chism said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “He makes plays each and every week, each and every day in practice. And so we just got to continue to be there for him.”
Chism continued by saying that whenever Maye gives the Patriots’ receivers, running backs or other playmakers an opportunity, they have to make the most of it.
“He’s an awesome player, an awesome captain and an awesome guy,” Chism said.
Patriots Bounce Back After Blowout Loss to Jaguars
For New England, that touchdown and the victory that followed came at a pretty important moment.
The Patriots had just been steamrolled by Jacksonville one week earlier, losing 35-6 in a game that left very little to celebrate. Turning around and beating an AFC East rival immediately afterward was exactly the kind of response Vrabel needed from his team.
Chism said the Patriots are still trying to establish what kind of team they are going to be.
“I think it’s just that no matter what’s going on in previous weeks or what’s the future, we’re focused on it and we’re continuing to build that identity,” Chism said. “And it’s not going to become something overnight.”
He added that New England has to keep finishing games, maintaining its effort and playing relentlessly.
Patriots-Bills Rematch Already Has Extra Heat
Now the calendar gets interesting.
Buffalo and New England will meet again in December, and Gardner-Johnson has already made sure nobody in the Patriots’ locker room will need help remembering what was said after the first game.
The Patriots have the win.
Gardner-Johnson has the quotes.
And Vrabel has already shown he’s perfectly willing to keep the conversation going.
