The New England Patriots are officially on a Super Bowl run after Sunday’s 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos. To reach the Super Bowl, you need a fair share of contributors and the Patriots have gotten sporadic contributions from players like TreVeyon Henderson and Will Campbell.
While the Patriots have taken shifts with unsung heroes stepping up, it appears that the carriage has turned into a pumpkin for wide receiver and kick returner Efton Chism.
Chism found himself in the spotlight, filling in for an injured Mack Hollins. But after being made inactive for the AFC Championship Game, it appears he’s not in the early plans for Super Bowl LX.
Efton Chism’s Cinderella Story Appears to Be Over Ahead of Super Bowl LX
An undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington, Chism earned a spot on the roster with a strong preseason, catching 12 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. With the ability to return kicks, Chism was a solid contributor to the team despite suffering a knee injury that delayed his debut to October and was thrust into action when Mack Hollins suffered an abdominal injury in a Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Patriots continued to roll after Hollins’s injury and Chism was a big reason why. After catching passes for 40 yards in a Week 17 win over the New York Jets and a 35-yard reception in a Week 18 win over the Miami Dolphins, Chism had a 20-yard catch against the Chargers, which seemed to build momentum to keep his role deep into the playoffs.
Unfortunately things changed when Hollins returned for the divisional round win over the Houston Texans. Chism played more snaps (22) against the Texans than against the Chargers (19), but he didn’t make a reception on his three passing snaps and spent 19 snaps as a run blocker. The performance didn’t inspire the Patriots to activate him for the AFC Championship Game and it’s unknown what his role will be moving forward.
The Patriots could decide to use Chism again as the passing game will be much easier to execute in sunny Santa Clara than it was in snowy Denver on Sunday. But it also shows his place on the pecking order where the Patriots don’t trust him in a high-pressure situation.
Luckily for Chism, there's two weeks now to get himself back on the coaching staff's good side. Fellow rookie Kyle Williams has just one catch this playoffs despite seeing more opportunities, so if Chism puts together strong practices in the lead up to the Super Bowl, that's one potential avenue for the undrafted receiver to see some snaps.