Patch Patriots Roundup: Ezekiel Elliott's Dallas Homecoming

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The Patriots trip to Jerry World on Sunday will mean a little something extra to one member of the roster.

Ezekiel Elliott may be in what some are calling the twilight of his career, but for seven years in Dallas he had fans across the country feeding themselves out of an imaginary cereal bowl as he ran his way to one first-team All-Pro, three Pro Bowls and an offensive Rookie of the Year award.

For as much as Elliott meant on the field — third all-time in rushing yards behind Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett — it's clear he meant just as much, if not more, in the locker room.

“He’s always going to be loved here,” coach Mike McCarthy said, according to ESPN. “The love that he has still today in the locker room is tremendous. He’s probably in my time, our time together, was clearly probably one of the most popular players. I mean he’s a tremendous teammate. He still is. I mean, his name usually comes up once a week. Great guy.”

ESPN's Todd Archer compiled some thoughts from Cowboys players on Zeke and his return, which can be read here.

Here's what else to know heading into Sunday's matchup:

Defensive Rookie of the Month

It might be too early to say that Christian Gonzalez is the steal of the most recent NFL draft — thanks, Jalen Carter — but it isn't too early to say that the pick has been yielding big-time results for the Patriots.

So much so that Gonzalez was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for September.

Gonzalez wasn't tasked with a light workload either as he was asked to cover A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson in his first three games. How did he perform against that murderer's row of wide receivers? Admirably.

Belichick on Parsons

It's no secret that Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons is a problem for the league's offensive linemen, so stopping him will be a clear priority for Head Coach Bill Belichick.

During his "Belestrator" segment this week, Belichick talked about Parsons and fellow edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.

"These two guys are really a problem on the edge of the defense," Belichick said. "Running at them's hard, running away from them's hard, they're good pursuit players and blocking them in the pass rush is hard."

How To Watch, Listen

Kickoff: 4:25 p.m.

Network: Fox

Streaming: Fox Sports

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub