Will Campbell, Milton Williams injury updates reveal likely Week 18 status for Pats stars

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Will Campbell, Milton Williams injury updates reveal likely Week 18 status for Pats stars originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots appear to be on track to getting two key players back for a crucial Week 18 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Both left tackle Will Campbell and defensive lineman Milton Williams are eligible to come off injured reserve this week and both have been trending in the right direction to be activated after practicing this week.

Campbell looks to have a better shot considering he has turned in full practices this week, but head coach Mike Vrabel is optimistic about both players returning.

According to The Athletic's Chad Graff, Vrabel did not fully commit to Campbell and Williams playing, but he did say "it looks good" for their prospects of suiting up.

This is enormous for the Patriots for a few reasons.

For starters, having Campbell and Williams on the field increases the Patriots' chances of winning, which the Patriots need to do in combination with a Denver Broncos loss to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Whether they accomplish that feat or not, Campbell and Williams can shake off some of the rust from their prolonged layoff before having to take part in a playoff game.

The Patriots will release their final injury report of the week on Friday and we would expect both players to draw a questionable tag.

Saturday will be the more important day, as that is likely when the Pats will make their final decision on activating both players.