Ezekiel Elliott brings a 'little bit of juice' to Patriots backfield

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Zeke’s first week: How effectively running back Ezekiel Elliott still hits the hole remains to be seen, but he decisively hit the ground running in his first week after signing a one-year deal with the Patriots. Elliott’s energy, passion and football knowledge made a notable first impression on coaches and teammates.

“He’s excited. Everyone in the room is excited,” running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri said. “He’s brought a little bit of juice.”

Coach Bill Belichick noted the majority of Elliott’s time has come working with Sunseri — a former NFL safety who is entering his third full season leading the team’s running backs — with a goal of getting him “caught up on terminology” of the offense.

Sunseri shared that 28-year-old Elliott, the team’s oldest healthy running back (with 30-year-old Ty Montgomery II not on the 11-day preseason road trip due to a left leg/knee injury) has already been a vocal presence.

“He talks to all the guys in the room — how he sees runs, how he sees protections. He communicates well. He’s had a little bit of a leadership role so far, and we’ll see how that progresses,” he said. “He’s done a lot of these things. He’s done a lot of these runs that we’re going to run.”

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien added: “One thing you see right away is that he’s smart, he’s been in different systems, he understands football. Maybe they called it apples, we call it oranges, but it’s still football, and he gets it. He picks up on it really quick. … I do think he’s a three-down back, and he’s been a really good addition to our football team.”

Sunseri credited the team’s other backs for helping Elliott, a group that includes third-year pro Rhamondre Stevenson, who led the team last season with 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns.

Stevenson has been “pretty close” with Elliott since they met in 2021 before the Cowboys’ 35-29 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

“That’s my guy,” Stevenson said. “The way he runs the ball, his determination, his relentlessness — he’s going to give you all he’s got. I feel our games are going to complement each other very well.”

At one point in Thursday’s joint practice with the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, teammates took note of Elliott’s jubilation. One such example came after rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte caught a touchdown pass and Elliott raced off the sideline to celebrate with him.

“That little bit of excitement [for] somebody he really doesn’t know, it means he loves his team,” outside linebacker Matthew Judon said. “I believe Zeke loves football; I believe that with my whole heart — you can see it from Ohio State to now.”

Elliott was also observed giving an encouraging pat on the back to backup quarterback Bailey Zappe after an interception, and then was the first to celebrate with Zappe after he bounced back with a touchdown pass.

Elliott has yet to answer questions from reporters since joining the Patriots, but that is likely to happen this week, as he is expected to increase his workload at practice.

He didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers. That wasn’t a surprise after Belichick was asked how he would describe where Elliott is from a physical standpoint and said: “We haven’t really been able to practice with him. He [first] worked out with the strength staff on Wednesday. So it’s coming along. He’s definitely not there yet, but we’re getting there.”

2. Zeke’s burst: Elliott was one of 22 players with at least 200 rushes last season, and his 3.8 yards per rush ranked last among the group. Furthermore, he was 77 rushing yards below expectation, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which was the fourth-worst mark in the NFL behind Leonard Fournette (-135), Najee Harris (-116) and Chase Edmonds (-107).

Those statistics spark questions of how much Elliott has left in the tank.

Sunseri was asked what the Patriots look for to answer those questions.

“I think the ability, one, to see the runs. Two, to get downhill. And just the mentality of running tough. That’s what we look for,” he said. “That’s what all the guys in the room have. And they can handle blitz protection. We like those type of guys that can do all those things.”

3. Strong’s status: Barring an unexpected turn, the plan is for second-year running back Pierre Strong Jr. to rejoin the team this week after not traveling to Green Bay because he was in the concussion protocol. Strong likely gets bumped down the depth chart with Elliott’s arrival, but it’s hard to imagine there still isn’t a role in which the 5-foot-11, 212-pound player’s breakaway speed — a notable contrast to Stevenson and Elliott — can be tapped at times.

4. Onwenu on trip: Starting right guard Mike Onwenu, who remains on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing offseason surgery on one of his ankles, made the trip to Green Bay with the team last week. That could be a positive sign, with offensive line coach Adrian Klemm saying it keeps Onwenu locked in mentally so he’ll be ready when he’s ultimately cleared to return. “Everything we install, he’s involved with that. He’s here every day as if he’s playing,” Klemm said.

5. Trent the mentor: Veteran offensive tackle Trent Brown participated sparingly in voluntary spring workouts, then didn’t make it to town for the first day of mandatory minicamp in June and barely participated on the second day. Things looked dicey at that point, which makes what has happened since much more notable. Brown was cited by Klemm, his coach, as an emerging leader among a younger offensive line group.

“In terms of mentoring and speaking up, he’s actually done a lot more of that since I initially got here, to help bring some guys along. He’s been very helpful,” Klemm said. “I’m excited about that because it is a little something new, I think.”

6. Sow’s chance: Rookie right tackle Sidy Sow, a fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, matched up competitively against rookie Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (the No. 3 pick) as a starter in the preseason opener. That might have been a factor in Sow getting an extended look over the past week and starting Saturday night’s preseason game against the Packers with quarterback Mac Jones and other more experiences players making their debuts.

“He’s starting to develop some competitive poise,” Klemm said. “He’s very intelligent. It’s just a matter of being consistent and developing true confidence.”

Sow helped pave the way for Rhamondre Stevenson’s opening 1-yard touchdown run, but then was beaten for a sack to end the team’s second drive.

In a related offensive tackle note, there has been some hope that veteran free agent signing Calvin Anderson (on the non-football illness list) is close to working his way back onto the field.

7. Packers appreciate Patriots: What stood out to Packers coach Matt LaFleur about practicing against the Patriots twice last week? He particularly appreciated the experience his offense received against the Patriots’ unpredictable defense.

“New England does an outstanding job disguising coverage,” he said. “Many times they are going to present you with a look that looks like all-out pressure, so that can be a little unnerving, especially in some of those third-down situations that are a little longer. But they do a great job bluffing out of it and playing coverage. I thought it was really beneficial for our guys to see those different looks.”

8. Douglas-O’Brien link: Patriots wide receivers coach Ross Douglas had initially committed to play football at Penn State under Bill O’Brien when he was coming out of high school in Avon, Ohio. But it never happened, with Douglas, a highly recruited cornerback, ending up at Michigan instead. Now they are linked as coaches a decade later. “Me and him have a long history. I’ve known him since I was 16 years old,” Douglas said. “It’s funny how life comes full circle.”

9. Keion delivers: How does a rookie offensive or defensive lineman best endear himself to veteran teammates? By making sure he catches a punt at the end of practice to help earn players reduced meeting time. Sow muffed his chance early last week, but fellow rookie offensive lineman Atonio Mafi got the Patriots back even before 6-5, 290-pound defensive end Keion White closed it out by making it look easy. “I knew Keion was going to get it done,” veteran safety Jabrill Peppers said.

10. Did you know? Since Elliott entered the NFL in 2016, he has 561 pass blocks, which is 100 more than any other running back during that span, according to ESPN Stats & Information data. Giovani Bernard is second at 446.