The New England Patriots’ clearest offensive problem in Super Bowl LX is about to get another look at the same defense.
Second-year left tackle Will Campbell endured his roughest game as a pro when the Seattle Seahawks overwhelmed New England’s offense in a 29-13 championship loss in February.
But three days before the Patriots return to Seattle for their Week 1 rematch, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels made it known he doesn’t view Campbell’s summer action as an attempt to erase one bad night.
“I don’t look at it as a rebound,” McDaniels said, per Patriots Wire’s Sophie Weller. He described Campbell as having a “really good mindset” and being “locked in.”
“I don’t look of it as a rebound. I look at it as the progression of a second year player… I think he’s had a good mindset all year. Really good mindset. Locked in. Good spring. Good
Campbell allowed 14 quarterback pressures, according to NFL.com, the most surrendered by any player in a game during the 2025 season.
The teams are scheduled to open their seasons Sept. 9 at Lumen Field.
McDaniels Sees Progression From Campbell
Campbell entered the NFL with assumptions of quick excellence after New England selected him No. 4 overall in the 2025 draft. He started at left tackle and became responsible for protecting Drake Maye’s blind side during a run that reached the Super Bowl.
His first year also ended with questions about whether his long-term position should change.
Mike Vrabel shut that discussion down two days after the Super Bowl, saying Campbell remained the team’s left tackle. The Patriots stuck with that plan throughout the offseason, and Campbell entered his second training camp working at the same spot.
There was context to his late-season drop-off, as Campbell suffered a knee ligament injury during the regular season and acknowledged after the Super Bowl that it affected him down the stretch.
New England’s offseason evaluation also centered on how much a healthier lower body could help him regain the form he showed earlier as a rookie.
Patriots.com also wrote about the potential for a year-two jump after players have moved beyond the adjustment period of their rookie seasons.
Now the schedule provides a direct measurement of that progress.
Seahawks Put Campbell at Center of Super Bowl Pressure Plan
Seattle didn’t stumble into Campbell’s problems in February.
The Seahawks went after New England’s young left side throughout the Super Bowl, and Campbell struggled to hold up in one-on-one situations.
Next Gen Stats credited him with a 26.9% pressure rate allowed. His four quick pressures were tied for the most by an offensive tackle in a Super Bowl, and he finished New England’s four-game postseason run with 29 pressures allowed.
The Patriots’ postgame film review also pointed to Campbell’s set points and strike timing as trouble areas, especially when Seattle’s edge rushers were able to get into his chest and generate power.
That performance turned Campbell into one of the easiest places to assign blame for an offense that failed to score through three quarters.
Six months have gone by, and the Patriots are returning to the same stadium with the same left tackle and offensive coordinator.
The difference they are banking on is growth.
Campbell doesn’t need the opener to rewrite his entire rookie season, but he will have a chance to show that the version Seattle attacked in February is no longer the version protecting Maye in September.
Patriots’ Super Bowl Weak Link ‘Locked In’ Before Seahawks Rematch