Story perspectives

Patriots Beat Bills 29-26 as Efton Chism Scores

By Drooid · Oct 8, 2026, 5:40 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Efton Chism III caught the game-winning touchdown as the Patriots beat the Bills 29-26.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson called Chism a “practice-squad player” and doubted his repeat ability.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel defended Chism and mocked Gardner-Johnson’s eight-team, four-year journeyman résumé.
Chism was an FCS All-American at Eastern Washington with 346 catches, 3,852 yards and 37 touchdowns.

History

Historical Context

During the 2007 NFL season, Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season, outscoring opponents 589 points while Tom Brady threw a record 50 touchdown passes, culminating in a 38-7 win over the Buffalo Bills. That unprecedented offensive dominance set a benchmark that teams still cite when leveraging surprise players to sustain championship momentum.

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Story summary

Efton Chism III caught the game-winning touchdown as the Patriots beat the Bills 29-26.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson called Chism a “practice-squad player” and doubted his repeat ability.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel defended Chism and mocked Gardner-Johnson’s eight-team, four-year journeyman résumé.
Chism was an FCS All-American at Eastern Washington with 346 catches, 3,852 yards and 37 touchdowns.

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