The New England Patriots opened the 2026 campaign the same way they finished the 2025 campaign: with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite playing against backup quarterback Drew Lock, the Pats couldn’t find a way to come out on top, as they suffered a 13-10 loss on Wednesday night.
There were quite a few concerning developments on offense in this one, whether it was Drake Maye‘s poor performance or A.J. Brown‘s ankle injury. A silver lining, though, for New England was the play of its offensive line, with left tackle Will Campbell turning in a particularly strong outing. And if you ask former Pro Bowl offensive lineman T.J. Lang, he thinks Campbell’s strong play can carry over throughout the remainder of the year.
T.J. Lang Gushes Over Will Campbell’s Week 1 Performance
Lang spent 10 years in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, earning a pair of Pro Bowl selections in 2016 and 2017. He didn’t play left tackle like Campbell, but as an offensive lineman, you know what guys need to do to put themselves in a position to succeed, no matter what spot you are playing at.
Campbell generally enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in 2025, but after suffering an MCL injury late in the year, he was virtually unplayable once he returned to the field. The Pats managed to make a Super Bowl in spite of Campbell, as he turned in some mind-bogglingly awful performances, with the worst of the bunch coming in Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks.
In Week 1, Campbell got a measure of revenge, as he allowed just one pressure on 44 passing plays Wednesday night. While the Seahawks’ defense was a bit banged up in this game, that doesn’t take away from Campbell’s performance, and based on what Lang saw from him during this contest, he believes the second-year pro has made some considerable improvements to his game.
“Biggest improvement is timing up the snap count and getting a good jump,” Lang wrote in a post on X in response to Campbell’s advanced metrics from his outing vs. the Seahawks. “It’s so important to put yourself in a good position to not have to rush. And it’s incredibly hard to do in Seattle. Very encouraging night for Will.”
Patriots Hoping for Continued Improvement From Will Campbell
For much of the Pats’ playoff run in 2025, Maye was scrambling for his life under center. This time around, though, he generally had time to assess what the Seahawks’ defense was doing and make a decision from there. Unfortunately for New England, his decision-making process unraveled as the game went on, which led to three back-breaking second-half interceptions.
With Brown also appearing likely to miss some time with an ankle injury, that is going to make it even more important for the Patriots to continue protecting Maye under center. Campbell passed his first test against Seattle in flying colors, but he will have another tough task in front of him in Week 2 when the Pats welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to town.
Former Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman Turns Heads With Patriots’ Will Campbell Comments