FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Twelve days ago, New England Patriots running back Jonas Gray was on the Pats' practice squad, like he had been for two years with Miami and Baltimore, just itching to make his mark in the NFL. On Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Gray led New England with 17 carries and 86 yards on the ground.

For a player who has waited so long for his chance to shine, Gray seized that opportunity with his first carry of the day -- a 19-yard burst on the Patriots' second offensive play.

"It actually shocked me that it was that open," Gray said. "When you are in there you are doing everything you are supposed to do -- you are reading, you get your vision -- I'm like, oh, whoa, I just started sprinting full speed and couldn't believe that it just opened up like that. I was thinking I was supposed to score. I was so mad because I kind of stumbled a little bit. If I just hit it, I would have scored."

Gray had a breakout game on Sunday, leading the team with 17 carries and 86 yards on the ground. Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports

Gray's first run gave him a boost of confidence and set the tempo for him to carry the football a lot throughout the game. He displayed energy and confidence while showing his passion for the game.

"Man, it's crazy because when you go into the game you don't even know how many carries you are going to get," Gray said. "I'm thinking it could be like last week -- only a few carries, blitz protection, get some routes -- but when you get a heavy workload like that, your first run goes for a long gain, it's confidence, more and more confidence."

Gray carries himself with that positive attitude in the locker room and on the field. He shows the determination to be a reliable teammate.

"I know these guys trust me," Gray said. "They think I'm dependable, so just keep building off that, keep being consistent."

Gray maintained that consistency by averaging 5.1 yards per carry with good vision to find the holes created by the Patriots' offensive line.

"The line did a good job blocking all night," Gray said. "They were hyping me up in the huddle, like 'let's get these yards!' "

While Gray didn't get into the end zone, he said that's the next step for him from an individual standpoint. But a win against Denver is what is on his and everyone's mind this week.

"The next step is [getting in the end zone], but I know it will come," Gray said.

After waiting for more than two seasons for his NFL chance, Gray is making the most of it. And while it is still a somewhat surreal feeling, Gray feels at home in New England.

"It's crazy because I used to watch Tom [Brady] and I'm like you have to be crazy to play with Tom Brady," Gray said. "Now, I'm back there with him and it's a real feeling.

"I know that I belong."