It is hard to get much attention when you play next to Jalen Carter, and I mean that in multiple senses. One because you literally won’t get much attention from the O-Line because they are busy doubling Carter. But also in the sense that your great play likely won’t get as much love because one of the best DTs in the league is taking over the game next to you. But despite how great Carter has been, Milton Williams deserves some love too.
It is a contract year for the former 3rd round pick, and he sure is playing like it. Willaims has racked up 50 pressures this season, including 10 in the postseason. He also has the 2nd best pressure rate among DTs in the NFL. There have been games where because Carter was drawing so much attention, Williams took over in his place.
But the Super Bowl might be his chance to shine. And it is not only because of how good he has been but because of who he is going to match up with. Namely Mike Caliendo.
Related: How Vic Fangio Changed The Culture Of The Eagles Defense
Chiefs O-Line Issues
The Chiefs O-Line has come a long way from when they single-handedly lost a game to the Bucs back in Super Bowl 55. They have two legitimately great players in Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey.
Thuney usually plays inside. He is an All-Pro Guard for 3 straight seasons, but injuries and struggling backups forced him to move out to LT. Despite not playing there since his college days, he has done an amazing job out at Tackle. But moving him there meant a hole opened up inside. A hole they have tried to fill with Mike Caliendo.
Caliendo showed promise at first, shutting out the Chiefs in his first start at LG. But it has gone downhill from there. He has given up 13 combined pressures and 9 QB Hurries in his last four games. I don’t put much into PFF grades, but his grade over those 4 games is under 40. Against the Bills, he was at one point pretty much used as a battering ram by Bulls DT Jordan Phillips to knock Patrick Mahomes over.
He has been the weak link. And while there was some thought about moving Thuney back inside and putting DJ Humphries back at LT, Andy Reid said that they intend to stick with what they have been doing. So unless something changes, it is going to be Mike Caliendo in there again at LG.
Can Milton Williams Capitalize?
Many have suggested it could be the chance for Jalen Carter to feast. But Carter very rarely lines up against the LG. Of his 1013 snaps (side note, him playing that many snaps and still playing this well is crazy) 933 have come on the Left Side of the D-Line, which is the Right Side of the O-Line. Only 21 have come across from the LG. So it will likely not be Carter lined up across from Caliendo. It has actually been Milton Williams, followed by Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo, who spend the majority of the time lined up across from the LG. But especially lately, it has been Williams for the majority of the time. Getting over 40 snaps there in each of the playoff games.
He will get the chance to go 1 on 1 with the weakest link on the Chiefs O-Line for most of the game. Willaims has dominated thus far in the playoffs and will get the chance to keep doing so. It will also be the chance to earn an even bigger contract.
Back in 2022. Haason Reddick was the Eagles Lineman who drew what appeared to be the mismatch, with Andrew Wylie playing RT. Wylie had been struggling going into that game, and Reddick was having a monster season. Everyone assumed Reddick would take over the game.
He didn’t get a single sack, and the lack of pressure overall was a huge difference-maker in that game for a Line that had a historic number of sacks. You can blame the turf, you can blame the players, or you can credit the Chiefs. But the Eagles failure to get to Mahomes was a key reason that defense could not get any stops in the 2nd half.
This year, the onus falls on Milton Williams. If he wins that battle, it is hard to see the Chiefs having much success on offense. We already know Carter will likely win, and Nolan Smith has a favorable matchup against the Chiefs RT, too. But with Mahomes, you need pressure from as many areas as possible. The guy might not look like the most athletic QB, but he is among the hardest QBs in the league to bring down. Winning inside is crucial.
The matchup between Milton Williams and Mike Caliendo could be huge in deciding who wins this game. And luckily for the Eagles, the matchup very much favors them.