Cannon blast diffuses Watt
Pats RT continues strong play
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. — Threetime Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt found himself in familiar territory yesterday, as he was again firmly held captive by Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon.
Watt appeared to try it all against Cannon during the first of two joint practices between the Patriots and Houston Texans at the Greenbrier, but the defensive lineman was neutralized. In back-to-back plays at one point, Cannon withstood Watt’s power rush and next easily stayed in front of Watt amid two consecutive spin moves.
Two consecutive spin moves? Yeah, it was the work of a shockingly desperate pass rusher who has likely grown tired of getting locked up by Cannon. When the two teams met in Week 3 of last season, Cannon kept Watt in check over the course of 24 blocking assignments, including 16 one-on-one meetings. He has 99’s number.
Watt had a bit more success yesterday while kicking inside, but he never mustered much against Cannon, who kept the Texans’ star out of quarterback Tom Brady’s area code. It’s the latest in a strong string of performances this summer and maybe a sign of yet another leap forward in 2017.
“I’m not where I need to be yet,” Cannon said after the humid, rain-soaked practice within the Allegheny Mountains. “I’ve got a lot of stuff I’m still working on, trying to get better. ”
Cannon absorbed another challenging move by Watt in the first 11-on-11 period of the practice. By staying square in his set, Cannon gave Brady time to complete a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman.
To be fair, Watt was coming off back surgery last year and the Texans shut him down after falling to the Patriots in September. And while these joint practices are live, they don’t present game speed. But the parallel within the results indicates Cannon has a knack for handling Watt, who has grown to enjoy the challenge of squaring off against Cannon and the Pats in general. They present a reliably strenuous challenge.
“You live for that,” Watt said. “That’s the goal. You want to get the guy’s best shot. You want somebody to give everything he has, because that’s the only way you’re going to find out how good you are. You’re never going to find out how good you are if they don’t give you their best shot. It’s a lot of fun. I love the competition. I love competing. Days like today are great.”
On a greater scale, Cannon is backing up his breakout season with a sturdy training camp, and that may yield the answer to one of the Patriots’ few questions as they prepare for 2017. Will Cannon’s shocking breakthrough be remembered as a one-hit wonder or the start of a long successful career?
Cannon’s peak was so sudden and so impressive that his five-year, $32.5 million contract extension wasn’t even questioned as the ink dried in November. After a disastrous season in 2015, which ended when he allowed eight quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks in the AFC Championship Game loss to the Denver Broncos, Cannon was saved by position coach Dante Scarnecchia.
It’s possible Cannon could even be on the cusp of an All-Pro team. That’s how he is getting paid anyway, as his average annual value of $6.5 million is the seventh most among right tackles.
“Keep listening to my coach, what Scar tells me, what coach (Bill) Belichick tells me,” Cannon said of the keys to continued success. “Anything I’ve got to work on, I’ve got to write it down, remember it, work on it at practice and get better at it. There’s still a lot that I have to get done. Keep working hard until I’m the best I can be and help the team as much as I can.”
The six-year veteran turned 29 in May, but his career trajectory has been anything but ordinary. Now that he is a year into his prime and seemingly building upon that success, who knows how good it could get for Cannon, but a clear mind and vastly improved work ethic are conducive to more growth.
Cannon isn’t changing anything that propelled him to this point, and he wants to keep the goals simple.
“We’re just in training camp. I just want to help my team,” Cannon said. “I want my teammates to trust me. If I’m doing everything the coach tells me to do and my teammates trust me, then I’m happy with where I’m at.”