What Ezekiel Elliott Jokingly Told Chad Ryland After Patriots Game-Winner

The Patriots nearly had another disaster amid their worst season in decades, but Chad Ryland saved the night to make it a joyous Christmas for New England, and no one seemed to be happier than Ezekiel Elliott.

Bailey Zappe led the Patriots to a 23-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter at Empower Field, but Russell Wilson worked his magic to erase the 16-point lead.

Ryland's struggles throughout the season continued Sunday night through the first three quarters. He missed a 47-yard field goal and an extra point, but the belief in the 2023 fourth-round pick never wavered as the Patriots kicker went out and kicked the game-winning 56-yard field goal.

New England pranced around with joy as fans were left perplexed wondering what to feel about how the win affected the team's 2024 NFL Draft selection. But Elliott was still in a festive mood when he met up with Ryland after the game-winner.

"I got a lot of respect for Chad," Elliott told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. "I joked with him after he made that long one. I said 'Hey if you didn't make that one, I'd have to break my foot off in your behind' --- all jokes. It's tough. All of our jobs are tough, but I would say kicking and punting is definitely one of the toughest jobs. You're sitting on the sideline most of the game. When you go on the field, it's so important. So just for him to have a short memory, and be able to lock in and kick that game-winner, means a lot to this team."

The Christmas Eve win appeared to be big for the Patriots locker room mentally, and they'll hope to ride that wave next week when they take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.