Patriots' Rex Burkhead may have seized starting job

New England Patriots running back Rex Burkhead rushed seven times for 20 yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 50 yards and a touchdown in the second preseason game.

What It Means:

Burkhead's touchdown came on a zinger from quarterback Tom Brady over the middle, and he slalomed through the Houston Texans' linebackers 22 yards to the end zone. Burkhead operated as the Patriots' feature back on Saturday night, gobbling up all of the first- and second-down snaps with the starters. James White did enter on third downs, but Burkhead was highly active in the passing game. Mike Gillislee (hamstring) is still on the shelf, making Burkhead a legitimate contender for the Week 1 starting running back job.

As of now, our models are modest on Burkhead, projecting him to rush only 58 times for 274 yards and 1.54 touchdowns in the upcoming season, adding 14 catches for 117 yards and 0.90 scores in the air.