Maybe the were right. Maybe if not for a bad call in the fourth quarter, they would've been the team representing the AFC in last season's . Maybe the Jaguars would've won the 2017 AFC title game had the officials not blown dead, prohibiting from returning a fumble the distance. Maybe the Jaguars were actually better than the a season ago, but got screwed.There's no way we'll George Kittle Jersey ever know, but what we do is that the Jaguars are good enough to beat the Patriots this year, which means they're good enough to win the AFC. We know that because it's what they did on Sunday. More on the NFL On Sunday, in the Jaguars came out sizzling, beat up on the Patriots early, looked like the best team in football for a half, and then survived a rocky second half that started to look oddly familiar. Unlike last January, the Jaguars didn't get 'd. They did enough to stop the greatest quarterback of all time from engineering yet another miraculous comeback.In the end, the Jaguars won 31-20 to push their record to 2-0 and just as importantly, confirm that they're a legitimate contender in the AFC. The Patriots were outplayed in every aspect of the game. The Jaguars' defense got after Brady early and often. As a result, Brady looked skittish in the pocket, even when pre sure was slow to arrive. Without -- absent with a hamstring injury -- the Jaguars let sling the ball around, and it worked. Bortles shredded the Patriots' defense. He outplayed Brady. And then -- and this might be the most important takeaway -- the Jaguars protected their lead. They didn't let themselves get Brady'd again. There were a few scary moments as the Patriots mounted what appeared to be an inevitable come-from-behind win, but the Jaguars came away with a few important plays to stymie the comeback.A year ago, the Jaguars outplayed the Patriots for three quarters and then curled up into a ball for the final 15 minutes, hoping the clock alone would stop Brady. On Sunday, the Jaguars outplayed the Patriots for a half, let the Patriots back into the game, and then crushed the Patriots' comeback. They didn't get conservative at the end of the game. They kept on throwing when plenty of teams would've been content running clock.Give credit to head coach Doug Marrone, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, the Jaguars' entire defense, and of course, Bortles. When Bortles plays the way he did, the Jaguars are a legitimate Super Bowl threat. That's what Sunday told us -- not to mention that a game like this could matter come winter K'Waun Williams Jersey , when the Jaguars and Patriots are fighting for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Last year, the AFC title game was in Foxborough. This year, it's conceivable the Patriots could be forced to return to Jacksonville. There's still a long ways to go and the Jaguars need to match the Patriots' consistency over the course of the season, but this is a result that could shape the race for the AFC's top seed. Onto the rest of the takeaways. Bortles was the best QB on the field About Bortles. We spent the summer the Jaguars could make to bring in a better quarterback, but if the Jaguars get this version of Bortles from here on out, they don't need to bring in a good quarterback. They might have one already.On Sunday, Bortles was the best quarterback on the field. He completed 29 of 45 pa ses for 377 yards, four touchdowns, one pick, and a 111.1 pa ser rating. He wasn't sacked and got hit only four times, so give the Jaguars' line credit for keeping their quarterback safe. But this game was all about Bortles, who also rushed for 35 yards on six attempts. BLAKE BORTLES SPIN MOVE ALERT : CBS NFL (@NFL) His afternoon started with a perfect touchdown pa s to . The Patriots stacked the box, just daring Bortles to beat them through the air.So, he did. We see YOU, !: CBS NFL (@NFL) On the Jaguars' second series, Bortles threw his second touchdown pa s, this one a deep shot to down the sideline. And that's how Dwight Clark Jersey the Jaguars built a 14-0 lead. It's a world. #DUUUVAL (@Jaguars) Late in the first half, the Patriots got on the board with a field goal. But before halftime, the Jaguars extended their lead to 18 points with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that Bortles polished off with his third touchdown. That's a first-half hat-trick: : CBS NFL (@NFL) The Patriots would fight back, trimming the deficit to 11 points. And it felt like they'd find a way to slip past the Jaguars. But Bortles' fourth and final touchdown of the game, which was le s about him and all about , sealed the win. . is going ALL THE WAY to the house. Richard Sherman Jersey See ya.: CBS NFL (@NFL) Bortles did throw a pick early in the fourth quarter but his defense bailed him out. Speaking of that defense ... Jaguars defense slows down Brady, Gronk Tom Brady is not happy. Josh McDaniels is not happy. Cameras catch it all. NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) That's what kind of day it was for the Patriots' offense. The Jaguars got after Brady immediately, pre suring and hitting him on the first series. For the duration of the first half, Brady looked uncomfortable in the pocket, as if he was expecting pre sure to arrive at a moment's notice. Brady finally got going later in the game, throwing a pair of touchdowns to in the second half, but he was unable to lift the Patriots out of a hole he helped dig. The Jaguars also shut down , who caught only two pa ses for 15 yards. Brady, meanwhile, finished 24 of 35 for 234 yards, two touchdowns, no picks, and a 106.1 pa ser rating. He was sacked twice. He didn't throw an interception, but he did lose a fumble that swung the game.After Bortles got picked off early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots, trailing by 11 at the time, had an opportunity to trim the deficit to one score. Instead, Brady fumbled when broke free and knocked the ball loose. FUMBLEEEEE!: CBS NFL (@NFL) That's the kind of big play the Jaguars couldn't manufacture a year ago during Brady's two fourth-quarter scoring drives.Belichick's curious decision to punt proves to be costlyWith just over eight minutes remaining, the Patriots trailed by 11 and faced a third-and-5 deep in their own territory. Brady hit on a swing pa s and White dove toward the first-down marker to pick up what appeared to be a fresh set of downs. But Marrone challenged the spot, and won.Instead of going for a fourth-and-short, Belichick opted to punt. Patriots decision to punt instead of going for fourth-and-a-foot with 8:13 left is a mistake. Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) Sure enough, that's when Bortles decided to throw his fourth touchdown, which iced the game. Adding insult to injury was that , but the Patriots didn't flinch or snap the ball to draw a penalty. Nick Bosa Jersey On the sideline, Belichick was spotted yelling at a player. We can only a sume he was frustrated that nobody on his punt team decided to take the free first down the Jaguars offered them. Three Jaguars break out The Jag