The Experts are All Weighing in to Say Will Campbell's NFL Debut Was Better Than You Think

There's something they teach on Day One of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting's class, Introduction to Lazy Football Analysis is the cliche that "No one notices an offensive lineman until he makes a mistake." But just because it's trite, tiresome and hacky doesn't make it any less true. In a crowd of 70,000 people - half of them above the legal BAC limit, distracted by the cheerleaders, the blaring PA system, and video board, there aren't enough people focused on the backside pulling guard or the tackle sliding off a double team to pick up TEX stunt to fill the back of a police cruiser. 

And that's not some subtle form of virtue signaling. When I'm in the stands, I'm no different. There's a sack, or a running back gets blown up two yards shy of the line of scrimmage, I'm doing what everyone else is, watching the replay to see who cocked that one up. Which is what probably ~35,000 people still at their seats in Gillette did yesterday when they saw Tyree Wilson disengage from Will Campbell and record a sack:

When Campbell had actually stood right up and stonewalled the initial rush, only to have Drake Maye find no one to throw to and step right up into Wilson's waiting arms like they were doing a Trust Fall in the family counseling session. 

Then there was the strip sack by Malcolm Koonce that I referenced in this morning's Knee Jerk Reactions:

That one's a little tougher to defend. And yet, there was the business of Rhamondre Stevenson whiffing on a chip block and Koonce simply going around the inside leverage that Campbell was (probably correctly) in position for. 

Your guess is as good as mine on that. But the opinions that matter most will address them in it the team- and offensive line meetings. 

And since none of us are allowed in, it's worth turning to the opinions that don't matter much. Except in this context. The outside-the-building experts are saying what a lot of the New England population doesn't want to hear: That Campbell did not have a bad game at all.

The analytics had him as the third best rookie at his position, albeit well behind the game that the Jets' right tackle had:

Pro Football Focus also had him 20th among all tackles. Which is not great. Not what you're hoping for. But still in the 68th percentile. So better than 68% of everyone at his position who have been graded before Monday Night Football. 

Then there's the former pro scouts who saw a solid performance with more chances to protect his QB than any other OL in the league, with a few minor errors that can be cleaned up. 

And football analysts concur that Campbell made some great stops against good competition:

Of course any such optimism won't be well received. The negativity has so gripped this region that I made the mistake of listening to sports radio in traffic on the way home from the same and heard nothing but people who want the whole coaching staff fired and the roster blown up and ownership to be forced to sell the team. Which is to say I heard one caller before I switched to Joe Rogan talking to a comedian instead. 

But the knives are out for Campbell. The Arm Measuring Industrial Complex is pulling for him to fail. The ones who are emotionally damaged beyond repair after two 4-13 seasons will not rest until he's proven to be the second coming of Isaiah Wynn. So every penalty, every pressure, and every strip sack will be amplified and every outstanding display of offensive line fundamentals and pancake block will be ignored. But like the man said, he's 21 and is coming off a fairly solid first game against an excellent pair of defensive ends. Here's hoping that going forward, Will Campbell does fewer and fewer things the average fan notices. My guess is that's exactly where his career trajectory is taking him.