The Patriots walked into Buffalo as the heavy underdog and walked out with the kind of win that leaves a favorite fumbling for answers. Drake Maye outplayed Josh Allen, New England escaped with the victory, and the Bills’ reaction said plenty about how badly the loss landed.
Sunday’s result was already a shock to most people, given how New England had played through the first three weeks and how Allen had been rolling in an early MVP push. Add in the injuries stacking up for the Patriots and the setting of Buffalo’s new stadium, and plenty of observers had this one penciled in for the home team. Instead, the Patriots flipped the script.
Not everyone in Buffalo handled it well.
Max Hairston was one of the first Bills players to show it. He spent much of the game getting beat by Romeo Doubs, who finally had his breakthrough afternoon with 6 receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
One of those scores came on a one-handed grab that belonged on a highlight reel. Hairston reportedly stormed out of the locker room after the loss and declined the interview he was scheduled to do.
Then came CJ Gardner-Johnson, who tried to minimize what New England had done while taking shots at the Patriots’ offense in the process. He called Efton Chism a “practice squad player” and said the Patriots don’t do anything better than the Bills. The problem is that the Patriots won and the Bills didn’t.
Bills CB CJ Gardner-Johnson on the loss to the #Patriots:
“An elevated guy made a hell of a catch. Probably won’t hear from him again. Respectfully.”
“A practice squad player made a hell of a play.”
“They ain’t do s**t better than us.” pic.twitter.com/MBP1LpBjfA
- Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) October 4, 2026
That part made the comments look even worse, because Chism was not on the practice squad last year or this year. He’s on the 53-man roster. Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, has spent time on a practice squad during his own career.
Even if Chism had been a game-day elevation, it wouldn’t erase the play itself. His one-handed touchdown catch was the kind of moment that can swing a game and, at minimum, stood out as one of the best plays of the week. The Bills may not have liked getting beaten by a player they didn’t know well, but tearing him down didn’t change the scoreboard.
If Buffalo wanted to avoid that kind of embarrassment, it probably needed a better handle on what New England could do offensively before kickoff. Instead, the Patriots left with the win and the Bills left sounding like they hadn’t quite processed it.
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Efton Chism III was the biggest beneficiary of the opening, playing a season-high number of snaps and hauling in the game-winning touchdown. His performance came at an opportune time for a team searching for reliable options, and it may force the Patriots to consider whether his role needs to grow even if Hollins is back sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Win Still Came With One Infuriating Officiating Flashpoint
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Mike Vrabels sideline miscue was not even the days most jarring officiating flashpoint, either. A separate viral moment showed an official caught using profanities toward Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, and the NFL is now reviewing that incident, leaving one more unwanted headline in a week already full of them. [Read more 🡒]