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How a former offensive lineman graded Will Campbell’s performance in Patriots’ Week 2 win
"I thought Will Campbell went down to South Florida and had himself a real good game."
Some early analysis of Will Campbell: As would be the case with any top-five draft pick, the scrutiny of Patriots left tackle Will Campbell has already been fairly intense.
The polarizing analysis of him both before and after the draft revolved around his arm length, as Campbell was measured to have slightly shorter arms than the typical range of quality NFL offensive linemen.
And with the season now in progress, New England head coach Mike Vrabel is being asked weekly questions about Campbell’s performance at left tackle.
Following the Week 2 win over the Dolphins, Campbell’s play drew the approving eye of NFL Network analyst (and former offensive lineman) Brian Baldinger. Utilizing his weekly format of film breakdown clips on social media, Baldinger shared some takes about the rookie.
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“I thought Will Campbell went down to South Florida and had himself a real good game,” Baldinger said. “Bunch of good pass-rushers out there.”
Baldinger noted that Campbell faced down Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb (among other players) and stood his ground. Scanning through several plays and situations, Baldinger showed the former LSU Tiger’s effectiveness in multiple situations.
“Just like he was at LSU. Bam!” Baldinger narrated over the video of Campbell’s successful blocking of Chubb on a fourth down play in the first quarter. “Quick little [Muhammad] Ali jab right there to the chest. Good job right there. Drake [had] all kinds of time to find [Stefon] Diggs over the middle for the first down on fourth and three.”
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After looking over a few more of Campbell’s plays, Baldinger noted that the rookie’s run blocking was also a quality asset for New England on Sunday to go along with his pass blocking.
Other experts agreed that Campbell was effective on Sunday. As Pro Football Focus listed, he was one of only a few NFL lineman to not allow a pressure in Week 2.
“I thought Will handled himself really well,” Baldinger concluded. “Handled the heat. Handled some good players. Got a little bounce in his step right there. Got his first NFL win.”
Trivia: Will Campbell was surprisingly the first LSU offensive lineman selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1998. What LSU lineman was picked that year?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Selected by the Steelers, had ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost 2-1 to the Athletics at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, despite rookie Connelly Early yielding just one run over 5.1 innings (with seven strikeouts).
The two teams play again this evening in Boston, with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m.
And in the NFL, the Patriots will host the Steelers in Week 3 on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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Sounds from Sunday: The Patriots released some mic’d up sideline footage from the win against the Dolphins.
On this day: In 1960, the Patriots recorded the first official win in team history. The 28-24 defeat of the New York Titans (later Jets) was achieved after a back-and-forth game: The Patriots took an early 7-0 lead only to surrender 24 unanswered points to New York.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Patriots still trailed 24-7. A pair of Boston touchdown tosses (one from Tom Greene, the other from Butch Songin) narrowed the gap to 24-21, but New York appeared to have the game locked up late.
The final twist of the game played out beautifully for the Patriots: New York punter Rick Sapienza fumbled a low snap with seconds remaining, allowing Boston’s Chuck Shonta to recover the ball and run it back for a 52-yard touchdown with no time remaining. Just like that, the Patriots had a first win, and in miraculous circumstances.
New York protested the result, charging that the Patriots had illegally kicked the ball on the final play prior to Shonta’s fumble recovery. But after several days, AFL commissioner Joe Foss ruled that both teams had illegally kicked the ball, and that he was not going to overturn the result retroactively.
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“Games will be decided on the field, no place else,” he declared, ending any lingering doubt over whether or not the Patriots’ first win was, in fact, a win.
Daily highlight: Brenton Doyle pulled back a home run in centerfield for the Rockies on Tuesday.
Trivia answer: Alan Faneca
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