Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots are back from their mini-bye and are set to head out to Cincinnati for the second straight season. A struggling Bengals team appears ready to get a boost with quarterback Joe Burrow’s return, but a historically bad defense still sets the stage for a big day for Drake Maye and the Patriots offense.
So, let’s get into this week’s #PostPulpit Mailbag.
What changes would you expect on defense with Milton Williams out and is it realistic to see him back on the field especially with a potential playoff run? – Kingratt
Replacing Milton Williams, who has established himself as one of the top interior pass rushers in football, will be no easy task. With him sidelined against the Jets, Cory Durden was used more in four-down fronts while also coming on the field in pass rush situations next to Christian Barmore. I would imagine that trend continues moving forward also with Khyiris Tonga seeing a bit more time in four-down fronts as well.
New England can then also mix in rookie Joshua Farmer, while Eric Gregory impressed as a run defender in his debut and Mike Vrabel also mentioned the availability of pass rusher Jeremiah Pharms on the practice squad.
Beyond the personnel changes, I would not expect any major scheme changes up front without Milton Williams — but do wonder if the Patriots already average pass rush will need to blitz more if the four-man pressure numbers start to fall off without Williams’ presence.
As for the defensive tackle’s timetable, he will miss a minimum of four games (not weeks) after being placed on injured reserve which will make Week 17 the earliest he can return. These are usually 4-to-6 week injuries, so it does seem like Williams should be back come playoffs.
I thought it was interesting that when Williams went on IR that Swinson was signed from the PS. The rumor was that both he and Dippre were signed to keep them from being poached and if that’s the case it makes more sense. Do you think it’s possible also that either or both showed enough at practice to merit being signed regardless of Williams going on IR and might get a significant number of snaps, now that they’re here? – wrw921
Adding both players to the active roster did put an end to other teams making offers, but their development since training camp also played a role in New England wanting to continue working with them. I wouldn’t expect either Swinson or Dippre to have a major role out of the gate with the duo likely even being inactive the next few weeks. But, they should get opportunities (at least on special teams) down the line.
Wouldn’t it make sense to get the ball to Kyle Williams via short passes or a jet sweep early in a game just to get him into the flow and build up some confidence? – c. lassiter
***I was thinking that when getting Kyle...
