David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots demolished the Jaguars, 50-10, on Sunday to improve their record to 10-6 and clinch a playoff spot. The Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL and the Patriots did exactly what they were supposed to do; dominate for 60 minutes.
There are several things that make a football team good and a there is a big difference between good and great teams. One thing that is a mark of all good and great teams is the ability to consistently beat teams they are better than. In the NFL, every team has good players and coaches, but some are obviously better than others. In their domination of the Jaguars, the Patriots showed this quality, scoring touchdowns on their first five possessions and jumping out to a 28-3 halftime lead.
After losing back-to-back games to the Colts and Bills, the Patriots needed a positive response. New England got that right from the jump on Sunday. After forcing a quick three and out on the Jaguars first possession, the Patriots took over at their own 30-yard line and marched 70 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead. New England never looked back.
The Patriots offense amassed 471 yards of total offense and defensively only gave up 253. In addition to getting off to a fast start, the Patriots came out of halftime with the same edge and energy they had in the first half. The Patriots scored three touchdowns in the second half and only gave up 108 yards of offense in the second half, 75 of which came on the Jaguars lone touchdown drive when New England was already up 50-3.
This victory against the Jaguars is not a signature win against a great team and it also does not solidify the Patriots as Super Bowl contenders. However, it is a nice step forward after two losses and showed that despite the last two weeks, the Patriots are a good football team that can play at a high level when they limit their own mistakes. Good teams are supposed to beat bad teams, but they don’t always get it done. On Sunday, the Patriots got it done with an exclamation point.