New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots picked up a big 27-14 win over the New York Jets in Week 11, but they suffered a potentially devastating injury involving star defensive tackle Milton Williams. While the Pats will miss Williams on defense during his absence, his injury could have an indirect impact on the team’s offense as well.
New England lost Williams to an ankle injury early against New York, and he ended up landing on injured reserve on Saturday, meaning he will miss at least the team’s next four games. With Williams out, Khyiris Tonga will take on a bigger role alongside Christian Barmore.
In addition to his duties on the defensive line, Tonga has been used as the team’s fullback on offense in obvious running situations over the past few weeks. However, with his role on defense set to expand, that could be put on the back burner for the time being.
“From the thinking-out-loud department: Of the multiple trickle-down effects of DT Milton Williams (ankle) landing on injured reserve, the Patriots’ coaching staff has to assess the now-added risk of using DT Khyiris Tonga as a lead-blocking power FB. Maybe shelving those plans,” Mike Reiss of ESPN opined in a post on X.
Tonga has become an unexpectedly important part of New England’s defensive line, especially when it pertains to its run defense. Alongside Cory Durden and Joshua Farmer, Tonga is going to see more snaps come his way over the next month or so with Williams stuck on the sidelines.
The Patriots could still use Tonga at fullback during this time, but they’d run the risk of overloading him with information, which obviously isn’t something the team wants to have happen. As a result, it will be interesting to see if Tonga’s unique offensive role gets tossed to the side for the time being when New England returns to action in Week 12.
