FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It was crudely scrawled, black Sharpie on three-hole note paper, and was found hanging in the stall of injured Patriots nose guard Vince Wolfork.

“Do My Job”, it said.

It must have been read by every Pat in the place, because they all did their jobs.

Did them well enough to humble the feckless Jacksonville Jaguars, 35-7, Sunday, before 68,756 at Gillette Stadium, and give the Pats their seventh AFC East title in the last nine seasons.

“Last year we didn’t win the division,” said Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, “and we were disappointed. Now we’ve got [commemorative] hats and t-shirts, and we’ll see what the rest of the season holds for us.”

Returning to the playoffs after missing out on a tie-breaker last year, New England could finish as high as the second seed but no lower than the fourth.

In any event, their next game will be played at Gillette ”“ possibly on Jan. 9 or 10 ”“  where they were a perfect 8-0 this year.

“It’s big,” said quarterback Tom Brady, who was a near perfect 23 of 26 with four TDs, (three of them to Moss). “It’s been a long drink for us. Last year, we were hoping for people to lose to have an opportunity to make the playoffs. We put a lot into this in the last 12 months.”

Boy, did it show.

This was a game for playmakers, and virtually every Pat answered the call.

On offense (the list begins with Brady, Moss, and wideout Wes Welker).

On defense (ready for your close up, Brandon Meriweather?)

On the sidelines (who said Bill Belichick has lost his fastball?).

“That was a real nice performance by the players,” said Belichick. “We had a real good week of practice, and they were focused. They stepped up and made play after play. I’m really proud of them. I think they earned what they got.”

Meriweather made two momentum turners by himself from his strong safety spot, both of them in the first quarter.

The first was a tackle that stopped the Jags’ Mike Thomas short of a sure first down while the game was still scoreless.

The second was a long, 56 yard interception return of a David Garrard pass that set up a Brady to Chris Baker score, which made it 14-0.

“I just trusted my instincts,” said Meriweather. “Coach (Belichick) always says ”˜follow your instincts, and you’ll always be in the right place at the right time.’”

New England piled on two more TDs in the first half, including a 1 yard run by Sammy Morris, a score he set up three plays earlier with a 55 yard gallop.

More play making.

More guys doing their jobs.

And one more message, this one delivered in person by Meriweather.

“We haven’t really done nothing yet,” he said. “We’re the AFC (East) champs. But we still have the playoffs to go. We’re still trying to take it one game at a time.”

FORWARD LATERALS: Oddly, it was the failure to make a play that led to the virtual disappearance of running back Laurence Maroney. Maroney, who had run well in four his first four rushing attempts, fumbled at the goal line during the Pats first possession, and never saw the field thereafter. Veteran Fred Taylor, who was playing against his former Jags teammates, made it a point to counsel Maroney. “I just told him, ”˜In all situations, try to pull something positive from it. God works in mysterious ways. Whether good or bad, it happened for a reason. So just be patient and keep your head up.’””¦The contest provided a reunion of sorts for a pair of former UMaine Black Bears, Pats’ safety Brandon McGowan and Jacksonville fullback Montell Owens. The two were Orono teammates for three seasons. Owens is the Jags’ special teams ace, leading the team in tackles”¦A several score lead allows enough room for levity. So it was when Moss came face-to-face (well, sort of) with a fan shown on the giant ProVision screen wearing a Randy Moss mask. The by-play occurred during an lengthy video review of Moss’ third TD, with Moss mimicking the fan’s gestures. “It was entertaining,” said Moss. “I had a lot of teammates wanting me to mess with the guy. He put a little humor into it, and I enjoyed it.”

— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.