New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams made his return from the ankle injury that forced him to miss five games in last week’s regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
That means he’ll be available for Sunday’s wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Williams being back on the field is obviously a huge positive for the Patriots. The team has struggled against the run with opponents averaging 123.7 yards per game on the ground against them this season. Williams is one of their best run defenders, so he fills an immediate weakness and also boosts the pass rush.
You won’t find many defensive tackles capable of getting pressure up the middle like Williams. The combination of him and Christian Barmore will aim to wreak havoc against the Chargers’ banged-up offensive line and quarterback Justin Herbert.
Slowing down the Chargers’ ground game will be key for the Patriots in keeping Herbert behind the sticks and forcing long third-down conversions. The more pressure they can put on the quarterback and the struggling offensive line, the better.
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