New England Patriots Ezekiel Elliott Endures Dreary Dallas Cowboys Reunion

Somber New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott didn't have much to say about his Dallas Cowboys homecoming as his new team was dealt a painful shellacking.

Reunions are often awkward. But your high school reunion was the height of suave interaction when compared to what Ezekiel Elliott had to go through on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Cowboys.

The newly-minted New England Patriots running back didn't have to wait long to show his former employers what they were missing, but he and his new teammates failed to answer the call at AT&T Stadium. 

After a relative breakout against the New York Jets last weekend, Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson were limited to a mere 46 yards on 20 carries. Even the slightest silver lining, the fact that Elliott owned the longest attempt on the afternoon, fell by the wayside, as it went only nine yards in what became a brutal 38-3 defeat.

It was part of a muted 22-yard day for Elliott, who had eight total touches (six rushes, two receptions) in defeat. Elliott took on an understandably somber demeanor in the locker room during the postgame after entering the contest on a wave of momentum thanks to an 80-yard day in the 15-10 triumph over the Jets (his first since last Thanksgiving).

“We’ve just got to take care of the ball. We have to take care of the ball better,” Elliott said of an afternoon that saw the Patriots lose three turnovers. “I think we had some momentum early in the game. We were moving the ball well. Just got to be more disciplined, and, ball security.”

To Elliott's point, the trio of Mac Jones turnovers all came during crucial, momentum-shifting points of the game: New England (1-3) matched Dallas' opening field goal but a fumble forced by Dante Fowler was returned to the end zone by Leighton Vander Esch, giving the Cowboys a multi-possession lead that proved permanent. 

The Patriots got back to the cusp of Cowboys territory two drives later but a Jones misfire to a scoring Daron Bland muted comeback hopes. Another on the Patriots' opening drive of the second half, which also inched past midfield at the Dallas 44, killed them off entirely.

Elliott shares a post game hug with former Dallas Cowboys teammate Dak Prescott / USA TODAY SPORTS

Dallas hosted each of Elliott's first eight NFL seasons after drafting him with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft. Despite things ending on a relatively sour note, the Cowboys rolled out the blue carpet for one of the most illustrious rushers in team history, a welcome that included a tribute video on the massive screen that hovers over the playing surface at "Jerry World." 

"I'm going to keep it real, I wasn't paying too much attention to that," Elliott said of his tribute, per the Cowboys' official site. "I am forever grateful for the Dallas community, forever grateful for the Jones family, just the opportunity he gave me and just how well the city treated me, how they took me in." 

Even if he wasn't ready to admit it publicly, Elliott likely found tidings of comfort and joy in the arms of his close friend Dak Prescott. He and the Cowboys' franchise quarterback shared a happy hug shortly after the clock erased the relatively meaningless final seconds.

A delightfully one-sided victory in his favor might've sweetened things up, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy sang Elliott's praises and appreciated what Dallas management did for him.

"Everyone understands when the ball is kicked off, it's a football game," McCarthy said "I'm sure it was no different for him. It's about respect, because at the end of the day that's all we all really want. This is a hard business, it's difficult to be successful. I was very proud of the organization because he deserves to be recognized. I thought that part of it was a home run."

"I thought (the tribute) was awesome," McCarthy continued, citing no awkward feelings on the Dallas sidelines "Frankly that's the way it should be. Why can we not respect people before us? What he meant to the organization, I thought the tribute was outstanding. It was great to see him afterward." 

Elliott's first chance at redemption lands on Sunday when the Patriots return home for another interconference matchup, this one against the New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

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