FOXBORO — Minutes before his first NFL playoff game, slot receiver Efton Chism III received some words of encouragement from one of his Patriots predecessors.
It was Danny Amendola, back in town to watch New England host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night in the wild-card round.
Which words, exactly? That detail, Chism couldn’t recall.
“Honestly, we were kind of just yelling at each other, getting each other going,” the rookie told the Herald, smiling, after the Patriots’ 16-3 win at Gillette Stadium. “I’ve got a ton of respect for that guy, and just having him just there and supporting me is huge.”
Studying film of Amendola helped Chism crack the Patriots roster out of training camp. The Eastern Washington product spent most of the season buried on the depth chart, but he contributed as a kick returner, then saw a spike in offensive snaps in December while the Patriots managed injuries to other wideouts.
That position group was mostly healthy Sunday night — only Mack Hollins, who is on injured reserve, was unavailable against the Chargers — but Chism maintained a role in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ game plan, even attempting the first pass of his NFL career.
That trick play failed — Chism overthrew an open Drake Maye on the same reverse pass McDaniels called for Amendola and Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII — but the 24-year-old hauled in a 20-yard reception three plays later to move the chains on second-and-18. He also handled some of Hollins’ usual duties as a detached in-line blocker despite lacking his teammate’s 6-foot-4, 221-pound frame. (Chism is listed at 5-10, 198.)
“Crazy, right? So crazy,” Chism said of his expanded role. “Crazy how much like a year can change, going from college football to draft prep and then all of a sudden playing in a playoff game, which is just such a blessing, such an honor. It’s been awesome just to be around these guys. They support me, and they’re always telling me to go out there and block. And man, I’m going to go out there and do it. I love being out there, and I love supporting the guys.”
