It's no secret at this point that Will Campbell struggled in Super Bowl LX. The New England Patriots' rookie left tackle was the target for the Seattle Seahawks' defense to attack quarterback Drake Maye throughout the contest. Former NFL offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth shared his explanation of what happened with Campbell in the championship.
In the latest episode of the “Fitz and Whit” podcast, the ex-left tackle of the Los Angeles Rams revealed that all teams zero in on their opponents' weaknesses come playoff time. It just so happened that Campbell's lack of experience proved to be a chink in the Patriots' armor in the Super Bowl. Whitworth also shut down the idea that Campbell's short arms were an issue.
“When you get to playoffs, they're coming after your weaknesses,” said Andrew Whitworth. “They're coming after your flaws. They're going to know exactly the things that you struggle with. And that's what happened in this game…
“This guy's been on tape a ton. A lot of these guys are putting in a plan. They had two weeks. They're going to go, ‘Hey man, this rookie, every flaw he's got, we're going to go after.' So this doesn’t have anything to do with arm length. It's just crazy when you hear that kind of stuff. It's just stupid.”
Will Campbell, who just turned 22 in January, certainly has a bright future in the NFL. Rookie offensive tackles tend to struggle to begin their careers. Campbell's struggles were put in the bright light due to playing in the Super Bowl, but it's nothing abnormal to see in the league.
He will have plenty of opportunities to further develop his game this offseason. A jump in production would be huge for the Patriots, as Will Campbell still has the potential of becoming a long-term option at left tackle in New England. But it will largely depend on Campbell cleaning up his game.
