If there’s a hallmark of the last 20 years for the Patriots, it’s their adaptability.
So when their franchise-tagged left guard Joe Thuney needed to slide inside to play center last week, of course there was no problem.
With starting center David Andrews out after hand surgery last week, Thuney took over in the middle of the line, with no apparent hiccups.
“We didn’t have no issues, so it was great,” Patriots quarterback Cam Newton said, via Nick Goss of NBCSportsBoston.com. “Smokin’ Joe is a person who is very reliable on this offensive line. The moment wasn’t too big for him to step right in to fill the shoes of [Andrews]. So I was just excited that, to have anybody be replacing somebody, you’ll want that transaction to be what it was.”
When you’re paying a lineman $14.78 million, the expectations are high to begin with, but Thuney has impressed teammates that way for years.
“Thuney is just showing everyone why he’s one of our most dependable players,” wide receiver Julian Edelman, who has played with him since 2016, said. “To be able to go in and play center and switch it up and show his versatility and contribute in a huge way, that’s Joe Thuney. I mean, knock on wood, but the guy’s done it since he came in.”
The operation was smooth, with the Patriots running for a season-high 250 yards against the Raiders.