Morning Sports Update
“Just play football, Drake. That’s what it’s about. Football’s fun. He got reminded of that.”
C.J. Gardner-Johnson tackles Hunter Henry during the Patriots’ win over the Bills on Sunday. AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
October 5, 2026 | 11:17 AM
3 minutes to read
The response to the Patriots’ win over the Bills: Having concluded a week ago on ESPN’s “Get Up!” that the “honeymoon in New England is over” for Drake Maye, ex-Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi had a proud smile while discussing a very different state of affairs on Monday morning after the Patriots’ 29-26 upset win over the Bills.
Bruschi and a panel of former NFL players and coaches, including ex-Jets and Bills head coach Rex Ryan, praised Maye for his perseverance in getting New England back on track in a difficult circumstance following the defeat against the Jaguars in Week 3.
By the same token, Bruschi and Ryan were among the chorus of critics regarding Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, whose postgame comments drew headlines on Sunday evening.
Claiming that the “better team lost,” and that New England’s late-game hero, wide receiver Efton Chism, was a practice squad player, Gardner-Johnson ironically provided both the Patriots and national pundits with an enormous of bulletin-board material (which he claimed in his comments was something he was not going to do).
Predictably, ESPN panelists provided some unsparing comments on Gardner-Johnson’s press conference approach.
“This is a player right here, he does this all the time,” Ryan said of Gardner-Johnson. “How many teams has he been with the last five years?”
Ryan’s rhetorical question echoed a response dolled out on Monday by Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who noted in his weekly WEEI interview that Gardner-Johnson has played for “eight teams in four years.” Technically, the 2019 Saints fourth-round pick has played for seven different NFL teams in eight seasons.
“Bye bye, see you later, you’re not helping us,” Ryan said of Gardner-Johnson, appearing to suggest that he might get cut. “The guy was a decent player, but it’s not worth it. He’s got his own agenda here.”
“Know your roster,” Bruschi added of the Buffalo safety, as Chism (contrary to Gardner-Johnson’s charge) was not elevated from New England’s practice squad. “Efton Chism is a contributor for the Patriots.”
“You lost the game,” Brushi noted of the Bills DB, “and it sounds like he doesn’t care that they lost.”
Much of the show’s discussion of the game centered around Maye’s response to his difficult start to the season. Facing the prospect of a divisional loss dropping the team’s record to 1-3, Maye helped guide a late comeback to bring New England back to .500.
“It was just all about getting your quarterback back yesterday,” Bruschi said, acknowledging that he’d merely been hoping for Maye to show competitiveness even if New England couldn’t get a win in Buffalo on Sunday.
“No, it was even more than that,” Bruschi said, noting the scoreline. He also pointed out that the quarterback’s body language seemed much more relaxed and confident.
“The smile and the double fist pump at the end, that was the money shot,” the ex-Patriots linebacker said of Maye. “They money shot that he’s back, mentally back. Just play football, Drake. That’s what it’s about. Football’s fun. He got reminded of that. Vrabes was with him the entire week and there he was getting the victory.
“This was a life lesson for this kid,” Bruschi said, “and this was a moment for Drake Maye and the Patriots.”
“He is back! Mentally back. … Just play football, Drake [Maye].”
—Tedy Bruschi on Drake Maye’s performance in the Patriots’ win over the Bills. pic.twitter.com/UyRaIehpte
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 5, 2026
Trivia: Rex Ryan was head coach of the Jets the last time that New York was in the playoffs. Which postseason opponent did the Jets eventually lose to?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: AFC North.
Scores and schedules:
The Patriots defeated the Bills 29-26 on Sunday. New England will face the Raiders in Week 5 at home at 1 p.m.
The Bruins host the Senators tonight at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
From the weekend: If you missed it, Harvard defeated Colgate on the final play of the game Saturday thanks to a Hail Mary and a lateral all rolled into one.
On this day: In 2025, the Patriots pulled off an upset win in Buffalo thanks to a huge night (10 catches for 146 yards) from Stefon Diggs. The 23-20 win over the Bills on the road helped launch New England for the rest of the season.
Daily highlight: While the Chism highlight inevitably makes sense for any context the day after the Patriots’ win, this outrageous pass from Nikola Jokić is certainly a worthy inclusion as well.
Trivia answer: Steelers
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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