3 Patriots Who Saved Their Jobs in Week 3 Win Over Jets
By Tyler Maher
2. Ezekiel Elliott
Speaking of Patriots on thin ice, Elliott appeared to be on the verge of falling through after Week 2.
A late signing by New England in August, Zeke was clearly a consolation prize after the team missed out on DeAndre Hopkins. Nobody expected Elliott to dominate, but he was expected to be a quality RB2 behind Rhamondre Stevenson and fill the void in the backfield left by Damien Harris.
He didn’t come close to doing either of those things in the first two weeks of the season, rushing just 12 times for 42 yards and no touchdowns. He also lost a fumble in Week 1 and didn’t receive a single target in Week 2, looking out of sorts in the offense. Patriots fans were starting to fear that he was washed up and were ready to declare him a major bust.
Fortunately, Elliott put some of those fears to rest in Week 3. With New England relying on the ground game to move the ball in the crummy weather, Elliott stepped up and took 16 carries for 80 yards, out-rushing Stevenson for the second time this season. He also brought in his lone target for 7 yards.
This is the best that Ezekiel Elliott has looked with the Patriots. After missing most of the offseason, the veteran is gaining some steam
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) September 24, 2023
Overall, he looked like the Elliott of old (for one week, at least). Playing on fresh legs and with no shortage of motivation, it was one of those games where his performance was more impressive to watch than the stats suggest too.
Zeke should be motivated to put up another strong showing this week against his old team in Dallas, so things are finally looking up for Elliott in New England.