Mike Vrabel is going to look for a collective effort to make up for Patriots injured DT Milton Williams

With defensive tackle Milton Williams (left) now sidelined on injured reserve for at least four games, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is going to ask for more from the rest his defensive front, including Christian Barmore (right). Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH — Asked Monday which players are going to have to elevate their game with defensive lineman Milton Williams on the sideline for at least the next four games, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said it was simple.

“The same guys that I think have been playing,” Vrabel said. “Eric Gregory playing the game for the first time (Thursday), I thought he battled, and is continuing to improve on the practice squad, or receiving the show team stuff in practice. And, you know, hopefully we get Josh (Farmer) back. And I would say [Jeremiah Pharms Jr.] is doing a great job as well on the show team, and is ready to go in there at any point. So I think we’re OK there.”

Williams sustained a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of Thursday’s 27-14 win over the Jets. The defensive lineman left the game, returned for a stretch, and then sat the rest of the evening as the team officially ruled him out in the second half. As a result, with Williams on the bench, youngsters Cory Durden (34 snaps) and Gregory (15 snaps) were among those who saw a spike in playing time.

The 26-year-old Williams, who was spotted giving high fives to teammates who were returning to the locker room after the game, was placed on injured reserve two days later. He’ll be inactive for a minimum of four games, against Cincinnati, the Giants, Buffalo, and Baltimore. The first time he could return, ironically. would be the Dec. 28 rematch against the Jets.

In the short term, Vrabel and the Patriots expect to lean on their depth.

“We won’t have Milt for the foreseeable future, he’ll work hard to get back,” Vrabel said. “So, that’s really where our focus is. It’s not so much as a reflection as it is just focusing on how we get the guys ready to perform and continue to improve.

“I think the thing we’re trying to get everybody to understand is how much this is a progress league, and to be able to improve as the season goes on. And so, we’ll have to do that without Milt, who’s one of our contributors and is a big part of what we’ve done. But we’ll have to do it without him here for a few weeks.”

Williams, who signed a four-year, $104 million free agent deal with the Patriots this past offseason, has been a dominant presence in the middle, and a sizable reason why the Patriots are 9-2. In 11 games, the 6-foot-3-inch, 290-pounder has compiled 27 combined tackles, 3½ sacks, eight QB hits, and one pass breakup. With Williams, Khyiris Tonga, and Christian Barmore in the middle, the run defense remains in the league’s top five in almost every major category, and has allowed just two running backs all season to break the 50-yard barrier in a game.

Christian Barmore was high-stepping after the Patriots defensive lineman sacked Jets quarterback Justin Fields during Thursday night's victor at Gillette Stadium.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

Williams has played a career-high 61 percent of the defensive snaps, shattering his old mark of 48 percent last season with the Eagles. His ability to stay on the field this year as an occasional three-down player has made it tougher for opposing offenses to try and discern whether the Patriots are looking to stop the run or pass.

“It’s just … you can’t even put it into words,” offensive lineman Jared Wilson said of Williams’s impact this season. “Going up against him in training camp every day really opened my eyes. It was like, ‘Wow.’ It just made me better every single day.”

While the domino effect of losing someone like Williams will have a major impact along the line, there’s also other areas to consider. Tonga has been an excellent complementary part of the defensive puzzle, but has also spent time on offense as a fullback the last three games and on special teams as a blocker for field goals. Would the Patriots consider taking some of those responsibilities off Tonga’s plate if he’s asked to do more to pick up more of the slack?

“Well, those are things we have to consider,” Vrabel said. “But also, we just have to do everything that we can do to try to put the pieces together to help us win. And we just have to be able to play the game and put the guys where we expect them to.

“Any sort of injury can occur on any play at any point in time in football, so every play is critical,” he added. “We have to make sure that the 11 guys out there are the ones that give us the best chance and in those critical situations.”