FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Marcus Cannon has been one of the New England Patriots’ most versatile offensive linemen. In his fifth season with the team, he has played right tackle, left tackle, right guard and left guard as well as the tackle-eligible tight end.
Good thing. With left tackle Nate Solder placed on season-ending injured reserve last week, the 6-foot-5, 335-pound Cannon is likely to move into the starting lineup Sunday night when the Patriots play the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
UP NEXT
WHO: Patriots (4-0) at Colts (3-2)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Sunday
TV: NBC
FOUR THINGS TO WATCH AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS
1. How many points will the Patriots put up? This is the game many fans have been waiting for, with the Patriots facing the team that began the Deflategate scandal. New England is averaging 37.3 points per game and leads the NFL in total offense (423.8 yards). The Colts’ defense is ranked 28th overall and hasn’t faced an offense with this many threats – or this much motivation. Look for Tom Brady to try to find the end zone as many times as he can against a pass defense that is struggling.
2. Will Andrew Luck play well against the Patriots? Luck has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury but says he’s ready. He needs to play better than he has in his previous four games against New England, in which he’s thrown 10 interceptions and only six touchdowns. His performance in last year’s AFC title game might have been the worst, with a 23.0 quarterback rating. His career rating against the Patriots is only 58.7. The Patriots can make even the best quarterbacks look mortal.
3. Will the Patriots continue their running success against the Colts? In their last three meetings the Patriots have rushed for 659 yards and 13 touchdowns. The loss of left tackle Nate Solder may hurt New England’s running game, as he was adept at getting out on lead blocks. But the Patriots still have a great 1-2 punch in Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount, who runs his best against Indianapolis (314 yards, seven touchdowns the last two games). The Colts say their run defense has improved. We’ll see.
4. How many times will the Patriots get to Andrew Luck? Luck was sacked five times in the Colts’ first three games, and hammered many more times, which probably contributed to his injury. The Patriots have 16 sacks this season, tied for fourth in the league. They get pressure from the outside with ends Chandler Jones and Jabaal Sheard (seven combined sacks). And linebacker Jamie Collins has 3 1/2 sacks. If the Patriots get to Luck and force him to hurry his throws, this could be a long night for the Colts’ offense.
– Mike Lowe
It is unclear whether it will be Solder’s spot on the left side, where Cannon has played sparingly, or on the right, with Sebastian Vollmer moving over to the left side. Cannon made eight starts at right tackle when Vollmer was injured.
Cannon shrugs off any suggestions that playing multiple positions – often within the same game – is difficult.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s difficult or not, it’s what I’m asked to do,” he said.
But others know it isn’t easy.
While the fundamentals may be the same for any offensive lineman, each position comes with its own nuances: different calls, different blocking angles, different responsibilities.
“And there are differences based on what side you’re on,” said fellow offensive lineman Ryan Wendell, who has played both center and guard for the Patriots. “Center, guard, tackle, there are differences that come into play. I think it’s the sign of a good player that can transition from position to position as Marcus has.”
The Patriots obviously think Cannon is an asset. Last December they signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $9 million.
Cannon, 27, has been a steady contributor to the Patriots since they selected him out of Texas Christian University in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. Cannon had been projected to go higher but shortly before the draft was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
He endured chemotherapy before joining the team on Nov. 15, 2011. Cannon immediately played on special teams and filled in at right tackle, getting in as a reserve in the 2012 Super Bowl against the New York Giants. He was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award that season, voted on by teammates for the player who is a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage.
Over the years, Cannon has played in 57 games, starting 11. He played his best in 2013, after Vollmer went out with an injury, starting the final six games and two playoff games.
“Marcus has always played well for us,” said Coach Bill Belichick. “Two years ago when he was in for Vollmer, last year the opportunities that he had early in the year, particularly at tackle, and then this year he’s played in every game, played a number of snaps in all of our games. So he’s always done a good job for us when he’s in there.”
Belichick said the team has asked a lot of Cannon, and he’s always responded.
“Marcus has been very adaptable, playing on both sides, playing inside, outside, also played some at jumbo tight end,” said Belichick.
“I think he’s just a flexible guy that really just wants to play and whatever you ask him to do, he goes out there and does the best he can. He doesn’t over-analyze it or get overly caught up in a million things to do. He just tries to go out there and do it. It doesn’t seem to affect him too much.”
The Patriots have always asked their linemen to be flexible and ready to play at any moment. That’s been especially true this year, with starting center Bryan Stork (on short-term IR) and Wendell both missing the first four games. New England has used numerous line combinations in each game.
“It’s part of the job,” said Wendell. “We rotate guys all of the time in games and in practices. It’s the norm around here.”
That’s a big part of why Cannon has never worried about where he plays.
“We all go out there and practice,” he said. “We have good coaches that teach us what we need to know, the techniques about what we have to do. You just have to be ready.”
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