Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs Beat Jaguars 30-14 as Blake Bortles Throws 4 INT

Turns out, Patrick Mahomes isn't the only Chief who can play a little bit.  

Kansas City picked off Blake Bortles four times and held the Jaguars offense in check on its way to a 30-14 victory Sunday.

Patrick Mahomes accounted for 313 yards and two interceptions through the air and failed to throw for a touchdown for the first time this season. He added a rushing touchdown, however, and the Chiefs put up 424 total yards in wet conditions against a Jacksonville defense many consider the NFL's best.

The Jaguars were non-competitive throughout, trailing 20-0 in the first half and turning the ball over seven times (including two on downs). 

Chiefs Defense, Not Mahomes, Will Be Deciding Factor in Title Chances

Patrick Mahomes had his first shaky outing as an NFL passer Sunday. After throwing at least three touchdowns in each of the thirst three weeks, Mahomes has just one over the last two. The video game performance was going to stop at some point. Mahomes is still the MVP favorite, but the race is already narrowing.

That said, the last two weeks have also proven Mahomes and the Chiefs offense is anything but a fluke. Despite his pair of picks, Mahomes still carved up the Jags defense for over 300 through the air. With Jalen Ramsey doing a solid job of locking down Tyreek Hill, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins and didn't miss a beat outside of his couple of mistakes.

Mahomes is a superstar and isn't going anywhere. 

The real surprise here was, at last, a stellar defensive performance from the Chiefs. Kansas City had given up at least 23 points in every game this season. While some of the production from opposing teams came in garbage time, the Chiefs entered as one of the worst defensive teams in football. They were 30th in yards allowed, and Football Outsiders' metrics ranked them 31st.

Suffice it to say this performance was needed.

The Chiefs have shown particular improvement in the secondary over the last two weeks. Case Keenum went without a touchdown through the air last week, and Bortles got blanked in the first half before throwing up some garbage time numbers Sunday. 

The Chiefs don't need a great defense. They're probably not going to find one, anyway. All they need is competence, and the last two weeks have gone a long way in getting them there. 

Jags Need to End Bortles Experiment This Offseason

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Playing quarterback in the NFL is easier than it's ever been. Completion percentages are goosed by glorified runs designed as passes. A feather's weight can't come down on top of you or you're drawing a flag. Receivers aren't being jammed down the field anymore, and they don't fear going over the middle because of head-hunting rules.

But much to the chagrin of Jason Mendoza, Blake Bortles just isn't good at being an NFL quarterback.

Yes, there are occasional flashes of brilliance. His performance against New England nearly made me a believer. Bortles has also peppered in a 155-yard eyesore against the Tennessee Titans, a 176-yard clunker in the season opener against the Giants and this, a masterclass in garbage time fantasy production.

Bortles is the only thing holding the Jags back from being an actual Super Bowl contender. It's hard to say he's not a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback when Nick Foles is the reigning champion. You can probably win a title with this defense and Bortles at the helm. 

It's just going to take some big breaks and Bortles putting together at least three above-average performances in big moments. It took a stellar defensive outing against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round to overcome Bortles' 87-yard passing day. 

The Jags need to move on from Bortles this offseason before the defense becomes too expensive and this window shuts. 

Chiefs Now AFC Favorites After Definitive Win

The Jaguars beat the Patriots. The Chiefs beat the Jaguars. So, by the transitive property, the Chiefs are now AFC favorites.

They have arguably the NFL's best offense, led by a dual-threat quarterback who does most of the work with his rocket arm. Kareem Hunt has scored four touchdowns over the last three weeks, and the Hunt-Watkins-Kelce trio looks as solid as any unit in football.

After winning their first four games by a combined 30 points and showing a tendency to build leads and take their foot off the gas, the Chiefs added a big plus-16 in the biggest game of Week 5. A lot can and will change over the next 12 weeks. 

For now, though, the AFC championship appears to run through Kansas City. 

What's Next?

The Chiefs have their biggest test of the season next Sunday when they travel to New England. The Jaguars remain on the road for a game against the Dallas Cowboys.