It was not a smooth playoff debut for Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell, and he is well aware of that. Campbell, of course, is coming off a knee injury that threatened to end his season back in Week 12, but he was able to return for the season finale against the Dolphins before getting his first big test of his health and form–against a fearsome Chargers defensive front led by Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh and Tuli Tuipulotu, a trio that combined for 24.5 sacks this season.
And Campbell–along with fellow rookie left guard Jared Wilson, also coming back from an injury (ankle), was not great. He allowed five of the 14 pressures on Drake Maye that the Patriots game up, according to Pro Football Focus, while Wilson allowed six.
That will need to be much better against a Texans defense in the divisional round that has an even better set of pass-rushers than what New England saw against the Chargers. Campbell knows that.
Will Campbell Doesn’t ‘Give a (Expletive)’
But he also knows that the criticism lodged against the two Patriots rookies is not entirely fair. The Chargers went at the pair, and despite the pressure, the offense was able to do enough to land a 16-3 win and move on.
Campbell was blunt in responding to critics.
“I don’t give a (expletive) what anyone says, to be honest with you,” Campbell said. “It’s easy to type behind a Twitter account that, you know, is fake. I hold myself to the highest expectation of anybody. I want to be perfect, and it’s hard for me to get told that it’s going to be hard to be perfect.
“But the Chargers, obviously I didn’t pitch a shutout. You know I wish I had two or three plays that I wish I could have back. But that’s $300 million in defensive ends and I’ve got a ton of respect for those dudes. And It’s going to be like that every week in the playoffs.”
Patriots Facing Tough Test vs. Texans
And Campbell has some familiarity with the task ahead for the Patriots. The Texans’ defense is led by All-Pro pass rusher Will Anderson, who was a star at Alabama whom Campbell faced while at LSU. As a freshman.
Now, he is getting Anderson at his best in the NFL as a rookie, and Campbell will need to show improvement in his second playoff game, even if it is not quite a shutout.
“My freshman year, I played some really good players,” Campbell said. “Played him, Jared Verse and Jalen Carter, all when I was 18 years old. It’s a great experience for a young player. I had a feeling one day I would get to see him again. He’s an extremely talented player. Plays the game really hard. Ton of respect for him and what he’s been able to do.”
Patriots’ Will Campbell Sounds off Before Texans Playoff Game