Patriots Rookie Praises Electric Atmosphere In Playoff Debut

When New England Patriots tackle Will Campbell was announced to the Gillette Stadium crowd, the rookie basked in the cheers. The LSU draft pick pounded his chest, and ran out of the inflatable tunnel to what he called the best home atmosphere he’s played in.

"It was cool,” Campbell said postgame after the Patriots’ 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card. “The stadium was electric tonight, best I've seen it since I've been here. The crowd was into it.”

His first taste of playoff football in the NFL lived up to its reputation, and the rookie lived up to what made him the fourth overall pick in April’s draft. According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell recorded a 75.6 grade — the highest by any offensive player.

And though the offensive line had their hands full all night, allowing five sacks, the other side of the ball (and special teams) carried the way.

Campbell Had An Up-And-Down Playoff Opener

“Shout out to our defense, they played their tails off tonight, Andy Borregales played his tail off tonight,” Campbell said. “We started off a little slow, they kept us in it. We were able to put some points up later, but those guys played their tails off too, so hats off to them.”

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands the ball off to New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

For the Chargers’ offensive line, life was equally as bad. They allowed 30 total pressures to the Patriots’ pass rushers.

"It's A Blessing."

"Shout out to our defense,” Campbell said. “They showed up ready to play, they stopped the run, not a lot of passing yards for the other team. They just played their tails off, played with their hair on fire all night. That was huge."

The Patriots offense was precarious to start the game. Turnovers, including a strip sack by Odafe Oweh that came following a breakdown from Campbell, limited any chances for a high scoring game. It wasn’t a perfect game at all, the Patriots will say that. Campbell allowed six pressures in the win, as well as two of Los Angeles’ five sacks.

But to get a win? That’s what the first rounder is happy about.

“It's a blessing,” Campbell said. “It's what you work for. Get another opportunity to go out there and play, it's everything you can ask for. You got to have a good week, find out who we're playing, just get ready to go.”

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