New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliott's departure costs Patriots team leader in one surprising category

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 4/29/24

The New England Patriots had the worst offense in the NFL last season, and one very surprising stat about Ezekiel Elliott is further evidence of that.

Elliott signed a contract to return to the Dallas Cowboys. Now that the former Pro Bowl running back is not returning to New England, the Patriots have officially lost their leader in receptions from the 2023 season.

The Patriots just lost their leading receiver in 2023, as ridiculous as that sounds https://t.co/I82onejd6I

— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton1) April 29, 2024

Elliott led the Patriots with 51 receptions last season. That says a lot more about New England’s passing offense than it does about Elliott’s pass-catching prowess.

While he did have an impressive 77 catches with the Cowboys in 2018, Elliott has never really been known for his role in the passing game. He was simply relied upon late last season for check-down passes from Mac Jones in an offense that had no vertical passing attack and could not protect the quarterback.

The Patriots are hoping to fix all of that in short order. They fired Bill Belichick at the start of the offseason, traded Jones and drafted Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick. It remains to be seen if Maye will have a legitimate chance to start over veteran Jacoby Brissett, but one thing is for certain — the Patriots hope their leader in receptions next season has more than 51 catches.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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