Dallas Cowboys Warm Welcome for Ezekiel Elliott? 'Don't Blow the Surprise!' - Jerry Jones
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys welcome the New England Patriots to the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon. ... and might have a welcome-home treat in store for old friend Ezekiel Elliott.
"I don't want to blow a surprise!'' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said to @1053thefan on Wednesday morning of any plans to celebrate Zeke before Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium when he comes here for NFL Week 4 with his new team, the New England Patriots.''
Surprise? What surprise? Added pregame intrigue for sure, all part of the Cowboys' forever-opinion of the two-time NFL rushing champ as an all-time Cowboy.
Said Jerry on Zeke: "As far as a back that the opposing team hates to tackle, I think he's at the top of the list. Zeke took a toll on those defensive players. I'll always remember that."
Having said all of that ... the Cowboys were served humble pie in Week 3 at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in a 28-16 loss, and fixing all of that needs to obviously be the top focus here. Dallas is 2-1 after starting undefeated and now looks to right a sloppy performance that included 13 penalties for 107 yards, red zone struggles and the defense surrendering 222 rushing yards... A number that Zeke's new boss, coach Bill Belichick, surely finds inviting.
Will Elliott - released by Dallas as a cap casualty in the spring and now getting to hang around with old pals like Cowboys QB Dak Prescott - play a big role here as he works behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson? Elliott is fresh off a an 80-yard rushing performance in the Patriots' 15-10 win vs. the New York Jets. ... by far his best effort of the year.
“It’s going to be fun," said Elliott. "I’m excited to go back to Dallas, a place where I have so much history ... my home in the offseason. It will be cool to get back in AT&T Stadium.”
And it sounds like Jerry Jones has "surprise'' plans to make it even more "cool'' for all involved.