The New England Patriots left Seattle with a 13-10 loss, but their rebuilt offensive line gave them one of the clearest reasons for optimism coming out of Week 1.
Pro Football Focus highlighted that performance Saturday, placing three Patriots among the four highest-graded pass blockers through the NFL season’s first two nights. Mike Onwenu led the group with an 88.9 pass-blocking grade, followed by Will Campbell at 84.4. San Francisco 49ers guard Dominick Puni ranked third at 82.7, while Morgan Moses gave New England a third top-four finisher at 82.3.
That’s a great early sign for a unit that went into the season harboring questions after New England’s Super Bowl LX loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Patriots’ Protection Looks Different From Super Bowl LX
Campbell’s showing may be the most significant development of the group.
The left tackle endured a difficult Super Bowl, allowing 14 quarterback pressures against Seattle, according to Next Gen Stats. The total was the most allowed by any player in a game during the 2025 season. Campbell also surrendered 29 pressures over New England’s four-game postseason run.
The rematch looked much different.
Patriots.com wrote after Wednesday’s opener that Drake Maye was under pressure on 28.6% of his dropbacks on initial review, as Campbell held up in his one-on-one pass sets.
A later film review notched Campbell with a sack allowed on a failed stunt pickup with left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, but praised the second-year tackle’s improved punch timing, anchor and angles.
Onwenu and Moses were even cleaner.
The Patriots’ film review called Onwenu “solid” in the opener and credited Moses with a clean sheet in pass protection. Moses’ lone noted blemish was a false start, while Onwenu also delivered key blocks on two productive Rhamondre Stevenson runs.
Maye was officially sacked three times in the 13-10 defeat, but the protection was far from the defining reason New England lost. The quarterback threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter and later said he “lost patience” as the Patriots let a 10-0 lead slip away.
Onwenu, Campbell Give Patriots a Building Block
The PFF grades are only one game of data, and New England still has work to do up front.
The running game struggled to consistently create room against Seattle, and Vera-Tucker was charged with four pressures in the Patriots’ film review. Center Jared Wilson allowed one pressure in his first NFL start at the position, and the group also had issues passing off some of Seattle’s stunts and pressure looks.
New England can live with those corrections if its three highly regarded blockers continue protecting Maye at this level.
Onwenu has extensive starting experience at both guard and tackle. Campbell remains the main piece at left tackle after New England selected him No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Moses, meanwhile, gives the right side a veteran presence and showed in Week 1 that he can still handle difficult one-on-one assignments.
The Patriots didn’t get the result they wanted in Seattle. Their offensive line, however, flipped the script on the story from last year’s Super Bowl loss.
With Onwenu first, Campbell second and Moses fourth among the league’s pass blockers through the opening slate, New England’s front has nicely steadied itself out, at least for now.
Patriots Trio Lands Among NFL’s Top 4 Offensive Lineman During Week 1