There are a plethora of changes that have been made in New England that can be credited for the Patriots unprecedented turnaround this season.
You could look to Mike Vrabel shifting the team culture and Josh McDaniels implementing his offensive system. You could look to Drake Maye becoming the NFL’s next superstar with his MVP-level play. You could look to defensive signings like Milton Williams and Robert Spillane; all of these have certainly driven the team to success.
But an underrated change that has paid off in spades has been the play of two rookie offensive linemen: Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. Along with veteran Garrett Bradbury at center and veteran Morgan Moses at tackle, the Patriots offensive line has completely shifted for the better this season.
Most metrics will tell you the line is somewhere in the middle of the pack as far as blocking grades go, and those metrics may be correct. But New England’s O-line in their 4-13 season in 2024 was so atrocious that it makes this season’s line looks like the “Steel Curtain” in Pittsburgh in the 1970’s.
Patriots Get Updates on Campbell and Wilson
New England lost Will Campbell back on Nov. 23 to an MCL sprain suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 12. He was placed on injured reserve, which requires players to miss four games minimum once they are designated there.
Campbell’s time on IR is up, and signs are pointing upwards for the No. 4 overall pick heading into week 18 of the NFL season. He participated in his first practice since the injury on Thursday – as a full participant nonetheless – and is questionable for this Sunday’s season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
âBeen working hard over these past couple of weeks, just trying to get back,â Campbell said after Thursday’s practice. âSo to be able to finally get back out there today, Iâm excited.â
Meanwhile, the Pats lost Wilson to a concussion in their week 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The injury came as a surprise, considering he played every snap of that game.
Regardless of when the concussion occurred, Wilson was entered into the concussion protocol ahead of week 17, and remains in it heading into this weekend. According to Patriots beat reporter Mike Reiss, Wilson won’t practices this week, meaning Ben Brown will likely fill in for him on the line against the Dolphins.
Patriots Injury Report Features 15 Players Before Week 18
New England was lucky enough that it didn’t have too many injuries for the first few months of the season, but that luck has run out as at least one impact player from basically every position group is currently sidelined with some kind of ailment.
The four most concerning injuries are to fan favorite DL Khyiris Tonga (foot), LB Robert Spillane (ankle), LB Harold Landry (knee), and DT Milton Williams (ankle).
Tonga, Spillane, and Landry have all missed each practice this week and don’t seem to be trending towards playing this weekend. Williams was activated off of injured reserve last week but didn’t play against the Jets. He was a limited participant on Thursday, so he may have a chance to get his feet wet heading into the playoffs after missing six weeks.
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