'Feels Good!': New England Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott Turns Back Clock in Upset Win Over Pittsburgh Steelers
Just before the season, the New England Patriots made a seemingly big addition to their backfield by signing two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott.
On the field, though, it's looked for most of the season that the signing was such a big deal because of his name than because of his current playing ability. Elliott, a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Dallas Cowboys, has spent most of the season as the second fiddle to Rhamondre Stevenson. It was expected that the two would split carries, but Stevenson largely overshadowed the first-year Patriot.
With Stevenson out for the foreseeable future, Elliott had a chance to step up as the feature back, and at least in Thursday night's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he absolutely did. Elliott had 22 carries for 68 yards, his second-highest total of the year, to go along with seven receptions for a season-high 73 yards and his first receiving touchdown as a Patriot.
Ezekiel Elliott scored the first TD in the Patriots' upset win over the Steelers.
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Seeing the field for the vast majority of New England's 55 offensive plays, Elliott accounted for 141 of the Patriots' 303 total yards to help them score an upset win.
"It feels so good, it felt really good," Elliott told reporters after the game. "It's probably the best I've felt, this late in the season. Probably the least amount of touches I've had, but I feel good.
"I definitely do feel like I got better as the game went on, and it felt good."
The fourth overall pick in 2016, Elliott was among the best running backs in the league in his early years, leading to him signing a massive contract with the Cowboys. After signing that contract, though, his production gradually declined until Tony Pollard supplanted him as the top back, culminating in Elliott's release this offseason.
It's taken a while for Elliott to find his footing in New England, and perhaps he never reaches his peak form on a consistency on a consistent basis. For one night, though, Elliott flashed that past form for his new team to see.
