Going into Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, it seemed like the New England Patriots needed to avoid a major issue on offense. That was giving up sacks like they did in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks sacked Drake Maye 6 times in the Super Bowl, and that proved to be a major issue that limited the offense then. The face of those struggles was left tackle Will Campbell. He was playing on a bad knee and had struggled throughout the playoffs, and those struggles would lead to an offseason of major questions about where he sits on the offensive line.
In Week 1, the sacks weren’t the major issue, but the lack of run blocking and forcing passes downfield cost the offense. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson had 51 yards, but only 1 yard before contact on the day. Maye threw three interceptions to end the game. The Patriots lost again, but Campbell did show positive signs of improvement.
New England Patriots LT Will Campbell was Graded Out on Seahawks Loss
Following the loss to the Seahawks, PFF released its grades for individual players. That included Will Campbell.
Campbell was rated with a 77.6 Pass Block Grade and a 62.6 Run Block Grade by PFF. He was also given a 97.6 Pass Block Efficiency Rating.
As a reference point, PFF grades on a 0-100 scale. That comes from a play-by-play breakdown, where players are graded on a -2 to +2 scale. A 0 grade for a player is a neutral or expected outcome. 60 ends up being an average grade by PFF standards.
On his 44 pass blocking opportunities, Campbell allowed one sack and one pressure. He did not allow any hurries or QB hits. He did, however, commit two penalties and had a 71.3 Offensive Grade.
For comparison, in the Super Bowl, Campbell graded out with a 32.9 Pass Block Grade. He allowed 8 pressures, 6 hurries, and a sack in that game. He also put together a 53.1 Run Block Grade, and with his false start in the Super Bowl, he had a 38.2 Offensive Grade.
It was, undeniably, a massive improvement for Campbell. So, in that respect, there is a silver lining to the loss for the Patriots.
Patriots LT Will Campbell Reacts to His Performance
Nobody on the Patriots was happy following the loss to the Seahawks. However, for Will Campbell, there was something to be proud of after he put in work to improve over the offseason.
“For me, it’s about showing my teammates, myself, and the coaching staff that I’m a better player than what I put on tape in the Super Bowl… I really attacked this offseason. We really honed in on some things and worked on some new stuff. Just trying to excel in every area of my game,” Campbell said postgame.
There is still plenty to work on for the Patriots and Campbell. He played a lot better than he did in the Super Bowl, but there were penalties, there was a sack, and the entire line struggled to create holes in the running game.
More importantly, Campbell needs to avoid getting injured again or letting his play slip from where it was on Wednesday. Instead, this has to be a performance to build on.
Patriots LT Will Campbell PFF Grade, Honest Analysis of Seahawks Game