As expected, New England Patriots running back Rex Burkhead will finally make his return to the lineup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Patriots RB Rex Burkhead (knee) suffered no setbacks this week and he’ll play today, as expected, source said. RB Mike Gillislee (knee) will not.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2018
Burkhead has been out of the lineup since suffering a knee injury on Dec. 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 27-year-old had 264 rushing yards with five rushing touchdowns as well as 30 catches for 254 receiving yards with three receiving touchdowns in 10 games during his first season in New England. Six of his eight touchdowns have come in his last four games.
Burkhead’s return should give the Pats yet another versatile playmaker in their deep backfield alongside Dion Lewis and James White. Lewis was excellent for the Pats against the Tennessee Titans as he finished with 141 yards from scrimmage in 24 touches. Meanwhile, White added two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving.
While the Patriots will have Burkhead back, they will still be without fellow running back Mike Gillislee, who has been unable to recover from the knee injury which also kept him out against the Titans. Gillislee played in just nine games during his first season in New England, racking up 383 rushing yards with five touchdowns. But with Burkhead active, Gillislee likely wasn't going to play much of a role against the Jaguars even if he were healthy.
With quarterback Tom Brady’s injured throwing hand still a bit of a question mark, the Patriots running backs could turn out to be a more crucial part of their offense. Aside from the running game itself, they’ll need to keep the chains moving through shorter passes if Brady’s hand injury prevents him from connecting for big plays downfield.
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