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How Mike Vrabel Pushed Christian Barmore and Milton Williams to Dominate the Interior
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- How Mike Vrabel Pushed Christian Barmore and Milton Williams to Dominate the Interior
The New England Patriots won 26-19 on Sunday in a divisional win over the New York Jets . In the win, the Patriots' defensive line, particularly Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, played their best game of the season, applying consistent interior pressure on the Jets' offensive line.
During his post-game press conference, Milton Williams spoke about how head coach Mike Vrabel challenged the defensive line leading up to the divisional matchup.
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"It was eating at us. Week in and week out, just being close but not finishing the job," said Williams.
"We had those conversations all week. Vrabel talked a little noise, got in our ear a little bit, but we just continue to challenge each other, man, like this is going to be the game, this going to be the game where we get it done."
Williams And Barmore Got It Done
The Patriots defensive tackles played their best game of the season on Sunday, combining for four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three hits on Jets quarterback Geno Smith .
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They also accounted for a couple of New England's best defensive highlights when Williams and Barmore sacked Smith on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.
When asked about the defensive sequence, Williams applauded Barmore.
"I was too tired to even celebrate, but [Barmore] got his on the next play, you know, celebrating with him. That's what it's all about, you know, rooting for your teammates, executing at a high level, and, you know, dominating when we get the opportunity."
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Christian Barmore and Milton Williams are pillars on Mike Vrabel's defensive line, and while their stats coming into Week 6 didn't scream dominant defensive linemen, their performances on Sunday showed that they can wreak havoc on any opposing team's offense.
The duo will have another chance to build off their stellar performances on Thursday in Chicago as they will try to shut down Caleb Williams and the Bears offense.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
