New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliot. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott calls out Patriots' usage of Ezekiel Elliott after Cowboys blowout win

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 10/2/23

Ezekiel Elliott's revenge game against the Dallas Cowboys didn't go as planned. On the heels of an 80-yard rushing performance the week prior, pregame reports pointed to starter reps for Elliott in his Week 4 return to Dallas.

From @NFLGameDay: #Patriots RB Zeke Elliott, impressive thus far, is expected to get starter reps against his former team, meanwhile #Colts RB Jonathan Taylor will have his practice window opened this week. pic.twitter.com/trf0OZXW7i
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 1, 2023

Yet, all hopes of an increased workload for Elliott fell by the wayside as the Cowboys jumped to an early 28-3 lead over the Patriots, forcing New England to abandon the run. In return, Elliott only handled six carries on the afternoon, logging 22 of a possible 55 snaps on offense in the 38-3 loss.

After the game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott didn't mince words regarding Elliott's lack of usage in New England's offense.

"They need to play him more, but hey, who am I?” Prescott said.

All love, @EzekielElliott pic.twitter.com/TYryifE5pa
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 1, 2023

Prescott's assessment holds weight, as his former teammate has outplayed Patriots starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson throughout the first month of the 2023 season.

Elliott has averaged a respectable 4.1 YPC on 34 attempts this season. Furthermore, his rushing average vaults to 4.74 YPC in games where he has carried the ball seven-plus times. As for Stevenson, the third-year pro has averaged a putrid 2.7 YPC this season — tied with Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs for the worst average in the NFL among players with at least 60 rushing attempts.

Ultimately, New England's offensive struggles go far beyond their running game and Elliott's lackluster usage.

Quarterback Mac Jones owns the NFL's ninth-worst QBR this season at 44.8 and has tossed four interceptions (tied for fourth-most in the NFL). The receiving corps in Foxborough has not done Jones any favors, as Kendrick Bourne is the lone Patriots wideout to catch a touchdown. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been an utter disappointment, catching 11 passes four games into a three-year, $25M contract.

New England has no receiver on its current roster — besides maybe under-utilized rookie Demario Douglas — who strikes fear into opposing defenses. In a division with MVP candidates Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa lighting up scoreboards, the Patriots are ill-equipped offensively to go toe-to-toe with the AFC East elites.

If the Patriots hope to turn their season around, Bill Belichick may want to take a few pointers from Prescott and feed Zeke while relying on their 10th-ranked total defense to keep them in games.

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