Ezekiel Elliott 'Ready to Play' for Patriots ... vs. Titans?
FOXBORO — New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott was all smiles as he stepped to the microphone for the first time within the friendly confines of the Gillette Stadium practice fields.
Though he has officially been a Patriot for just over one week, the former Dallas Cowboys standout is already sounding like a man who is eager to succeed in his new surroundings.
"I'm still getting into that playbook, but I'm getting there," Elliott told reporters following Wednesday's practice. "Not being signed all offseason, I've been feeling anxious to get back out there. I feel good, and I feel like I'm ready to play.
"I've been home for a long time, so I have a lot of energy."
Since signing a one-year deal with Elliott last week, the Pats have been working quickly to incorporate the two-time All Pro into their offense. During Tuesday's practice session, Elliott showcased his backfield receiving skills by hauling in two passes from Jones and one from Zappe during two-minute team drills. His workload on Wednesday consisted primarily of red zone drills, with a strong emphasis on goal-line scenarios.
It is in this capacity that the 28-year-old is likely to be most effective for New England. Throughout his seven seasons with Dallas, Elliott remained one of the NFL's top red zone / goal-line options. Last season, he led the league in red zone rushing attempts with 59 — 31 of which came inside the ten-yard line, and 12 of them came inside the five. He had 11 touchdowns inside the 20, while leading all running backs with 162 rushing yards deep in enemy territory. Though he did not see the field during New England's matchup against the Green Bay Packers, he did take some reps against Green Bay's defense during last Thursday’s joint practice session. In addition to breaking the Packers' defensive seal for eight yards to find the end zone, he also scored on a goal-line carry.
Albeit in a limited sample size, Elliott is already proving himself capable of being a dual threat weapon, and a solid complement to top back Rhamondre Stevenson. With Stevenson handling the early down duties, the Ohio State product has the chance to demonstrate his rushing prowess and ball security, as well as being an adept blocker on third-down and blitz pick-ups.
Accordingly, all signs seem to point to Elliott making his preseason game debut on Friday when the Pats take on the Tennessee Titans. In addition to his expeditious learning of the Pats system, the three-time Pro Bowler may have helped to lessen his initiation period by keeping himself in good physical shape. In fact, he is already sounding like an apt Belichickian pupil; motivated to contribute to both a coach and an organization which "demand excellence."
"It's a good match [here in New England] and I think I'm a good fit," Elliott said. "It's great working with 'Mondre, I think we'll be able to complement each other really well ... Coach [Belichick] is great, a funny guy; but he demands it [excellence] and knows how to get a lot out of you."
While playing for both a storied franchise and a legendary head coach can be daunting, Elliott keeps his own counsel by being his own toughest critic.
"I don't think any entity could put more pressure on me than I do myself," he said with a smirk. "I just want to go out there and show what kind of player I am."
Having concluded its preseason practice slate, Elliott and his Patriots teammates will now travel to Nashville for their preseason finale against the Titans at 7 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium.
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