Milton Williams is feeling the heat - and not just from opposing offensive lines.
The Patriots’ defensive tackle has become a fixture near the top of opponent scouting reports, the kind of player offenses know they have to account for from the first snap to the last. After signing a four-year, $104 million deal with New England last offseason, Williams backed it up with the best season of his career, even with six games missed because of injury. He finished with a career-high 59 pressures and added 3.0 sacks in the playoffs.
That kind of production has changed the way teams attack him. Williams said the double teams have picked up to open this season, and he knows exactly why.
“I always say, ‘It costs to be the boss,’” he said. “That’s the price of doing business in the NFL, getting paid and being one of the guys that, you know, I’m probably either first, second, or third on a scouting report each and every week. You play the New England Patriots, it’s like, ‘Alright, we start with 97 and go from there.’”
Defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr sees the same thing.
“I would agree with you on that, of them sliding to him or double teaming him - wherever it may be,” Kuhr said.
The extra attention didn’t exactly make life easy early on. Through the first four games, Williams managed just six pressures, a slower start than he wanted. He said part of that was mental.
“I feel like the first couple weeks I was in my own head about it,” Williams said. “You know, making excuses instead of just going out there and just playing.
So that’s what I’m focused on now, going out there playing and affecting the game anyway. If I got double team, three people whatever it is.
Just figure out a way to make an impact and try to win.”
New England’s staff has worked to give him better chances to win his matchups, and Williams has done some of that work himself. He’s studied other defensive tackles around the league who deal with constant double teams, including Aaron Donald.
“Win quicker. Beat the first guy and then be ready to throw a second move when the next guy come,” Williams said.
“It’s tough when they both get on you at once, but if one come, beat him. If they come on different levels, it’s a little easier.”
The adjustment showed up in last week’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, when Williams produced a season-high six pressures. Now the goal is to keep stacking performances like that and keep causing problems on the Patriots’ front.
“This is what I work for,” Williams said. “This is what I prayed for, the opportunity to be in this position. I just got to take advantage of it.”
In Other News...
Patriots May Have An O-Line Decision They Didn't Expect
The Patriots thought they were adding depth when they took Caleb Lomu out of Utah in the 2026 NFL Draft, a left tackle prospect who could handle swing duties and maybe eventually step in for Morgan Moses. Instead, the rookie has been pressed into a bigger role sooner than expected, with Will Campbell out and the line already feeling the impact of another key absence. Campbell had been playing well before getting hurt, which is what made the early look at Lomu so interesting in the first place.
Lomu made the most of his opportunity against the Raiders, enough to turn a temporary fill-in job into a real question for New England. Once Campbell is healthy enough to return, the Patriots may have a decision they did not exactly plan for at left tackle, because the rookies play has at least made the coaching staff think twice about handing the spot right back. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Belichick Hall Of Fame Tension Just Got More Frustrating
The Hall of Fame conversation around Bill Belichick has taken another turn, and it is not a particularly satisfying one for Patriots fans still waiting for clarity. Tony Dungy, a former Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, has said he believes Belichick belongs in Canton, but he has stopped short of saying how he handled the vote itself, leaving the process wrapped in the kind of mystery that tends to frustrate people already invested in the outcome.
Dungy pointed to the voting process and cited past examples of greats who did not get in right away, which only adds to the sense that this is bigger than one name on one ballot. For New England followers, Belichick's place among football's all-time coaching legends is not really in doubt, but the silence around an actual vote has kept the story alive and given fans another reason to wonder what is still being left unsaid. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Mourn A Franchise Great Who Helped Shape Their Early Years
The Patriots are mourning one of the franchises early pillars after former offensive lineman Jon Morris died at 84, the team announced. Morris spent 11 seasons in New England and became a familiar figure in the organization long before the franchise reached its modern heights, earning six AFL All-Star nods and later remaining connected to the club as a radio broadcaster.
His legacy was already secure in New England by the time he entered the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011, a fitting recognition for a player who helped shape the teams formative years. Morris also carried a place in league history as the first Patriots player selected to the Pro Bowl after the AFL-NFL merger, another reminder of how long his impact lingered beyond his playing days. [Read more 🡒]