Efton Chism reacts to spectacular one-handed touchdown catch to held Patriots upset Bills

The New England Patriots stunned the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and they did so thanks to an unlikely hero.

Second-year wide receiver Efton Chism hauled in a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch with 1:50 remaining to give the Patriots the lead for good. Thanks to Chism's highlight-reel 23-yard grab from quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots went on to beat their AFC East foe, 29-26.

Efton Chism reacts to game-winning touchdown

The Patriots shared a video on social media of head coach Mike Vrabel greeting Chism and heading into the locker room after the game. The second-year head coach can be heard telling him "I'm so happy for you. I'm so f-----g happy."

"When I'm out there and the ball's in the air, I kind of black out. I'm kind of in that flow state," Chism said after the game. "I'm just blessed. I'm so happy to have all the hard work that we've put in as a team and as a group, and then for things to go the way they did."

Chism has seen limited playing time this season. Last year as a rookie, he was inactive regularly on game days. He ended his first year with three catches in eight games with 75 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Vrabel says "Nobody's going to outwork Chis"

The wide receiver has played in each of the team's games this year after being inactive in Week 1.

"It's just a guy taking advantage of his opportunities. We have a lot of guys that work hard. I would say that nobody's going to outwork Chis," Vrabel said. "Chis 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 critical situations is what this league is all about."

Maye told a similar story about Chism's work ethic.

"The world may be put on the scene for Chis, but you guys see it every year for two years now. In training camp, he just keeps doing the right thing and stays after every day in practice," Maye said. "There's guys late in the building that I see late at night. It's Chis. He loves this game. You get what you put into it, and that's what you see with Chis."

Chism was asked about his long hours at Gillette Stadium.

"I'll probably be there at all hours, any time I can with Drake, trying to learn from him. He's a great quarterback, so any time we watch film together, it's always something he's pointing out that I wouldn't have noticed from the quarterback side," he said.

Who is Efton Chism?

Chism played at Eastern Washington University, which produced NFL wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne in recent years.

He went undrafted in 2025, signing with the Patriots as a free agent. Chism made his mark in training camp the last two seasons, and did enough to remain on the roster.

"It means a lot. But I prepare as a starter every week. Regardless if I'm going to be up or down, I can't control that. All I can control is the work I put in every day and every week and continue to try to do the same thing no matter what's going on," Chism said. "You've just got to continue to stay patient and realize don't live in tomorrow or yesterday. Just focus on how blessed I am to be here regardless. I don't think when I was a little kid, obviously it was my dream. But not a lot of people probably thought I would be here. Now I'm here and I've got so much faith in myself and God for giving me the opportunity, now I'm trying to take advantage of it."