After spending his first seven NFL seasons in Dallas, Ezekiel Elliott is eager to wrap up the year in a colder climate.
Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots running back looked forward to Sunday’s home again against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I’m excited to play some winter ball in the Northeast,” Elliott said.
“I’m excited to play some winter ball in the Northeast” — always-upbeat RB Ezekiel Elliott pic.twitter.com/rPm5rmXp6b
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 13, 2023
Elliott might be disappointed to learn it won’t quite be winter weather at Foxborough this weekend.
The AccuWeather forecast currently projects a high of 48 degrees at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. But there’s a 66 percent chance of rain with some wind gusts.
That’s not the type of freezing temperature that motivates fans and players to go shirtless in a head-scratching attempt to prove their toughness. Also, New England’s offense has looked ugly regardless of the conditions.
New England ranks 28th in total yards with an NFL-low 13.0 points per game this season. The Patriots had scored 13 combined points in three straight losses before Bailey Zappe threw three touchdowns in a 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined due to an ankle injury, Elliott had his best game as a Patriot. The 28-year-old only turned a season-high 22 handoffs into 68 rushing yards, but he also caught seven of eight targets for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Stevenson missed Wednesday’s practice, so Bill Belichick could feed Elliott another huge workload against a Kansas City defense allowing 4.6 yards per carry. He sounds ready for whatever challenges Mother Nature might present.
While Week 15 is New England’s penultimate home game, Elliott and Co. finish their schedule in traditionally cold environments. The Patriots will go to Denver to face the Broncos on a Saturday night before playing at Buffalo on New Year’s Eve. They’ll conclude the season at home against the New York Jets.