The New England Patriots had a pretty successful opening day: the team defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 33-3 and dominated in all three phases of the game. There was one negative development, though, as starting right tackle Marcus Cannon went down in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game with what was later specified to be a shoulder injury. Given New England’s lack of proven depth at the position, this was a big deal.
However, it looks like the Patriots and Cannon may have dodged a bullet: according to a report by ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss, the shoulder injury that forced the veteran tackle out of Sunday’s game “is not considered anything season-ending, or long-term in nature.