The New England Patriots' successful 2025 season was fueled in large part by the offense that new Head Coach and personnel evaluator Mike Vrabel put around his All-Pro quarterback, Drake Maye. Yet in the playoffs, the defense has been doing its part, and one of their best players, defensive tackle Milton Williams, has explained why good things are happening for the team.
Williams was a key piece of the massive offseason overhaul overseen by Mike Vrabel as he turned over a 4-13 roster and transformed it into a now 16-3 team playing in the AFC Championship game. Williams was the Patriots' most expensive free agent, and he hasn't disappointed.
The big defensive tackle is a difference-maker. When he was injured, he was sorely missed. He's a pocket-collapsing nightmare for an offensive line, as was the case in the 2025 Super Bowl when he helped the Eagles win. He comes up big on the biggest of stages.
Milton Williams commented on the Patriots' success
On the "Quick Snap" podcast, Williams comments on why the Patriots have even exceeded his expectations for the 2025 season.
"I thought eventually. I was thinking this year we're gonna make the playoffs, probably lose earlier on because we're kind of still in the rebuilding phase. But for it to happen this quick, it just shows -- first of all, our head coach, the coaching staff he brought in, and then the players that he brought in.
They went out and just got a lot of dogs and just added them to the team with the experienced coaching staff...We just got a close-knit group right now, and we're willing to go out there and just do whatever to prove that we belong."
Williams is right that the so-called rebuild that Vrabel conducted realized results in lightning fashion. Overhauling 50 percent of the roster, Vrabel wasted no time in upgrading his roster all over the field. He revamped and upgraded his offensive line and wide receiver corps, and on defense, he added playmakers to every level. It's all worked to deliver an amazingly successful season.
Milton Williams may help take the Patriots to the Super Bowl
A lot of attention has gone to the offense during the 2025 season, and rightfully so. MVP candidate Drake Maye has lit up the NFL to the tune of over 4,300 yards passing, 31 touchdown passes, and a staggering 72 percent completion rate. He had an astounding season leading Vrabel's revamped offense in a complete turnaround from 2024's lackluster one.
Yet, the defense got little attention. Part of the reason was that it lost several key players for reasonably extended periods of games. These included top tackler, linebacker, Robert Spillane, sack leader, edge, Harold Landry III, and defensive tackles Khyiris Tonga and and MIlton Williams.
All of those losses hurt.
But now, with Spillane, Tonga, and Williams back (and with the possible addition of Landry), the worm has turned. It's been the defense that's led the way to two playoff wins. First, they held Justin Herbert and the Rams to just three points; then they were stout against the Texans, and C.J. Stroud delivered three sacks to help eliminate the Texans.
In the Championship game at Denver, it will take superb offensive and defensive efforts to send the Broncos packing. But as Williams said, "we're willing to go out there and just do whatever to prove that we belong." There's no doubt of that.
If both the offense and defense perform as they can, expect a win in Denver and a trip to the Super Bowl.