Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (No. 97) had a career-high 49 snaps in his New England debut against the Raiders Sunday.
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams (No. 97) had a career-high 49 snaps in his New England debut against the Raiders Sunday.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH ― Last Sunday was a big day for New England’s defensive line.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams finished with a career-high 49 snaps in his debut. for the Patriots. Meanwhile, fellow defensive tackle Christian Barmore played 47 snaps, marking the most game action he’s seen since the end of the 2023 season.
Williams said before Thursday’s practice that he’s feeling all right with the additional workload.
“I mean, you’re going to get a little banged up,” Williams said. “It’s football. There’s a 100 percent injury rate. But I feel good. Obviously, it’s something I’ve been waiting for, to finally get the opportunity to consistently be out there and affect the game.
“I feel like the more I’m out there, I can help my team win,” he added. “I feel good. I’m good. If I need to play more, I can play more.”
Williams, who was mostly a complementary presence along the defensive front during the first four years of his career, rarely cracked 40 snaps a game in his time with the Eagles. But Sunday against the Raiders, he was on the field more than any other defensive lineman on the roster, and finished with five tackles, including one for a loss, and a pair of quarterback hits.
“Since he’s gotten here, the effort, the violence, things we talk about as a group, he’s done and exemplified those things,” defensive line coach Clint McMillan said of Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New England in the offseason. “It’s just constant, and it’s every week.
“He obviously did some positive things last week, but the rent is due again this week.”
Barmore, who has been dogged by blood clot issues over the last year, was limited to just four games in 2024. The 26-year-old had five tackles against Las Vegas.
“He’s getting everything that he can to get him ready and get him ready to play in games,” McMillan said of Barmore. “He’s done a great job. And anything that we’ve asked him to do, he’s done it. Obviously, he wants to be in there, and he’s had great success. So it’s just about getting him what he needs to be able to play in the game. That’s the biggest thing.”
The duo spent the spring and summer building chemistry together, and now, it’s starting to pay off.
“We definitely both know we can change the game if we’re both out there consistently,” Williams said of the workload moving forward for the duo. “We can handle it. We’re going to put in a lot of work and get as many reps as we need to play to come up with a win.”
“The big thing is, as long as they’re out there playing with the effort that we talk about, I trust them to be out there,” said McMillan. “So however many snaps that is, depending on how the game goes, it’s always going to be about ‘Are they all right? Are they still able to finish and be full tilt?’ That’s the biggest thing. The number of snaps? It’s going to be what it is.
“I don’t really think about the amount of plays in the moment. It’s just, ‘Hey, are they still able to finish and chase the ball that we need to?’ ”
Injury report
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) and defensive end Keion White (illness) were the only two members of the Patriots not present at practice. In addition, New England had six players who were limited: Barmore (not injury related), wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (shoulder), linebacker Christian Elliss (shoulder), linebacker Harold Landry III (foot), linebacker Marte Mapu (neck), and offensive tackle Morgan Moses (foot) … The Dolphins had six players who did not practice: cornerback Ethan Bonner (hamstring), cornerback Storm Duck (ankle), offensive lineman Austin Jackson (toe), defensive tackle Benito Jones (oblique), and tight end Darren Waller (hip) … The Patriots re-signed guard Jack Conley to the practice squad and released guard Mehki Butler from the practice squad.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.