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$104 million defensive tackle Milton Williams made a crucial change to seal victory for the New England Patriots in Week 2.

They paid him $104 million to fix the NFL’s worst pass rush, and the New England Patriots are trusting Milton Williams to do it his way. The Super Bowl-winning defensive tackle took the responsibility to seal Week 2’s wild 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins by calling his own number.

Letting Williams and fellow pricey newcomer, edge-rusher Harold Landry III freelance paid off for the Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, September 14. Especially when the two combined for three sacks, with Williams taking down Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a second time to seal victory.

Williams revealed “he and captain Harold Landry made a call on the field to run a stunt up front,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar. The latter noted “Williams said the Dolphins had been chipping on the left side, which they did on the play, so he and Landry knew they’d have the matchup to run a game. Williams then earned his big payday by taking down Tua to seal the win.”

A stunt between Williams and Landry worked, with big No. 97 taking an outside rush lane to get to the passer, while No. 2 made a spin move inside. Former Philadelphia Eagles situational pass-rusher Williams captioned a highlight of the play with the line, “God is good.”

The sack continued a quick revival for a pass rush that generated a league-low 28 QB takedowns a year ago.

Milton Williams Already Taking the Lead for Patriots

He was paid to be a narrative-changing disruptor able to take over games, and so far, Williams is living up to that label. The 26-year-old is doing it by taking the lead on the field.

Williams is setting the right example by logging three sacks through two games, but he’s also becoming a vocal leader. Somebody able to read the game and put himself and his teammates in the best positions to win in clutch moments.

Landry has benefitted most, with the ex-Tennessee Titans edge running riot against the Dolphins. He notched a key sack of his own late in the final period, highlighted by Sleeper’s Carlos A. Lopez.

This is Landry’s fourth sack of the season, but a rare one recorded away from Williams. The duo are becoming a two-headed menace when lined up next to one another.

Putting Williams and Landry together is the best way for the Pats to solidify an improving, but still inconsistent pass rush.

Patriots Still Lack Consistent Pressure

Landry’s performing above expectations and defying his critics, while Williams is showing he’s mastered a tough adjustment to this defense. Unfortunately, the Patriots don’t have other pass-rushers making a similar impact, a problem that showed up in Miami.

As Lazar pointed out, “the story for the Patriots defense in this game wasn’t that they only pressured Tua once in the first half. On the surface, that would be an alarmingly low number.”

Lazar did name a mitigating factor when he noted “the real culprit for the lack of pressure was Miami’s quarterback getting the ball out on average in 2.17 seconds. It’s nearly impossible to get home in under 2.5 seconds, meaning the issues speak more to the coverage not being tight enough to get Tua to hold the ball. Even Tyreek Hill’s 47-yard catch took 3.03 seconds to throw – it’s a coverage issue.”

Coverage is a problem while shutdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez remains out of action, but the Patriots also need more consistent heat on the pocket. Other than Williams, only nose tackle Khyiris Tonga registered a pressure against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, according to Pro Football Reference, and there were too many times this week when Tagovailoa was comfortable and unhurried.

The new-look pass rush is trending in the right direction, thanks to Williams’ ingenuity. Yet, the Patriots still need more supporting acts to share the load with the interior lineman and Landry.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko