Patriots vs. Jaguars, final score, takeaway: Jacksonville, Bortles make a statement with a dominant victory

Maybe the Jaguars were right. Perhaps without a bad shot in the fourth quarter, they would have been the team that represented the AFC at the Super Bowl last season. Maybe the Jaguars would have won the AFC title game in 2017 if the officials did not blow up the loss, banning Myles Jack from returning a fumble. Maybe the Jaguars were actually better than the Patriots a season ago, but they got fooled.

We will never know, but what we are doing is that the Jaguars are good enough to beat the Patriots this year, which means they are good enough to win the AFC. We know it because that's what they did on Sunday.

Sunday in the hottest game of the NFL for 15 years, The Jaguars came out sizzling, beat the Patriots early, appeared to be the best football team for half a day and survived a second difficult period that seemed strangely familiar. Unlike last January, the Jaguars did not have Tom Brady. They have done enough to prevent the greatest quarter of all time from engaging another miraculous return.

In the end, the Jaguars won 31-20 to push their record to 2-0 and, just as importantly, confirm that they are a legitimate contender to the AFC. The Patriots were beaten in every aspect of the game. The Jaguars' defense was after Brady early and often. As a result, Brady seemed shy in his pocket, even when the pressure was slow to arrive. Without Leonard Fournette – missing with a thigh injury – the Jaguars let Blake Bortles swing the ball and it worked. Bortles shredded the Patriots' defense. He surpassed Brady.

And then – and this could be the most important result – the Jaguars have protected their lead. They did not let Brady take over. There were some scary moments as the Patriots climbed what seemed like an inevitable victory, but the Jaguars left with some important games to counter the return.

A year ago, the Jaguars outpaced the Patriots for three quarters, then clinched the ball for the last 15 minutes, hoping the clock would stop Brady alone. On Sunday, the Jaguars beat the Patriots for half a day, left the Patriots back in the game and crushed the return of the Patriots. They did not become conservative at the end of the game. They continued to kick in when a lot of teams would have just played at the clock.

Thank Head Coach Doug Marrone, Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, the complete Jaguars defense and, of course, Bortles. When Bortles plays as he did, the Jaguars are a legitimate threat to the Super Bowl.

That's what Sunday told us – not to mention that a match like this could be of importance in the winter, while the Jaguars and Patriots are fighting for the benefit field in the playoffs. Last year, the AFC title game was in Foxborough. This year, it's conceivable that the Patriots might be forced to return to Jacksonville. There is still a long way to go and the Jaguars have to live up to the constancy of the Patriots during the season, but that is a result that could shape the race of the top seed of the season. ; AFC.

On the rest of the takeaway.

Bortles was the best QB on the field

About Bortles. We spent the summer evoke potential trades The Jaguars could bring a better quarter, but if the Jaguars now have this version of Bortles, they do not need to have a good quarter. They could have one already.

On Sunday, Bortles was the best quarterback on the field. He completed 29 of 45 passes for 377 yards, four touchdowns, one choice and a 111.1 passing score. He was not fired and only touched four times.

But Bortles was at the origin of this match.

His afternoon started with a perfect touch pass at Donte Moncrief. The Patriots piled up the box, only daring to beat them in the air.

So, he did it.

In the second series of Jaguars, Bortles launched his second touchdown pass, which one deep shot to Keelan Cole on the sideline. And that's how the Jaguars took a 14-0 lead.

At the end of the first period, the Patriots scored a goal in the field. But before half-time, the Jaguars extended their lead to 18 with a 75-yard, 75-yard run that Bortles made with his third touchdown.

It's a hat trick in the first period:

The Patriots would fight back, reducing the deficit to 11 points. And it was like they found a way to override the Jaguars. But the fourth and last touchdown of Bortles, less on him and on Dede Westbrook, sealed the victory.

Bortles made a choice early in the fourth quarter when he forced a pass in the tight cover, but his defense bailed him out. Speaking of this defense …

Jaguar defense slows down Brady and Gronk

It is that kind of day that it was for the Patriots' offensive.

The Jaguars immediately followed Brady, putting him under pressure and hitting him in the first set. During the first semester, Brady seemed uncomfortably in the pocket, as he was waiting at a pressure to arrive at one point. Brady finally managed to qualify later in the game, throwing two touchdowns to Chris Hogan in the second half, but he failed to get the Patriots out of a hole he helped dig.

The Jaguars also eliminated Rob Gronkowski, who only had two passes for 15 yards. Brady, meanwhile, finished 24 of 35 for 234 yards, two touchdowns, no choice and a score of 106.1. He was fired twice. He did not launch an interception, but he lost a fumble that tipped the match.

After Bortles was eliminated early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots, then in 11th place, had the opportunity to reduce their deficit to one point. Instead, Brady groped when Dante Fowler was released and knocked the balloon out.

This is the kind of big game that the Jaguars could not make a year ago during Brady's two ratings campaigns in the fourth quarter.

Belichick's curious decision to make a volte-charge is costly

Just over eight minutes from time, the Patriots lost 11 points and faced a third and five depth on home soil. Brady hit James White on a swing pass and White dipped to the first marker to pick up what appeared to be a new series of runs. But Marrone challenged the place and won.

Instead of going for a fourth and final round, Belichick opted for a punt.

The decision of the patriots to jump instead of going fourth and fifth with 8:13 left is a mistake.

– Aaron Schatz ? (@FO_ASchatz) September 16, 2018

Of course, it was at this moment that Bortles decided to launch his fourth touchdown, which iced the match.

Add insult to injury was that the Jaguars seemed to jump out of play before breaking, but the Patriots did not flinch or break the ball to get a penalty. On the sideline, Belichick was spotted shouting at a player. One can only assume that he was frustrated that no one on his dive team decided to take the first free ride offered by the Jaguars.

Three jaguars burst

The Jaguars have let Allen Robinson walk self-service, so they lack quality players. Three players, however, impressed the Patriots.

You have already seen the touched Cole caught. Now, take a look at what could be taking the season up to now:

Cole finished with seven receptions, 116 yards and a score.

Corey Grant, the second scorer, ran for 13 yards on four runs, but added 56 yards in the air. Even when Fournette comes back, it can be a dangerous weapon coming out of the backfield.

Finally, there is Westbrook, who scored the touchdown to put away the Patriots and finished with 83 yards.

Are Jaguars better without a cookie?

The first-round pick of 2017 – which the Jaguars have pushed back on players like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson – did not play because of a hamstring injury he suffered in his victory. team against the Giants. The replacement was Grant and T.J. Yeldon (who averaged 5.8 yards per race).

What was remarkable was that the Jaguars seemed more willing to let Bortles back instead of beating the ball with Fournette. And that begs the question: are Jaguars better without a cookie?

If the Jaguars are, it is not because Fournette is a bad player, but because it forces them to be more aggressive with Bortles. With the return of Fournette, the Jaguars should remain as aggressive as Sunday.

Jaguars lose Cam Robinson

On the first set of Jaguars, left striker Cam Robinson injured his knee. He did not return to play. It could be a blow forward, depending on the severity of the injury.

Robinson, in the second round a year ago, has started 15 of his 16 games in his rookie season.

Patriots lose Trey Flowers, Patrick Chung

The Patriots lost a player on this same series. Before Robinson broke down, defensive end Trey Flowers was involved in a collision in the backfield. It was excluded with a concussion.

Later in the game, the Patriots also lost safety Patrick Chung to a concussion.

The Patriots' defense is already not very talented, even at full strength. These injuries are worth watching as the Patriots enter the third week.

And after?

The Patriots (1-1) will try to bounce back against Matt Patricia and the Lions (0-2) in Detroit at the "Sunday Night Football", while the Jaguars host the Titans (1-1). Both teams should expect to win their match of week 3.

So, did anyone predict that Bortles would beat Brady on Sunday?