EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The New England Patriots had a hard time understanding New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And so did his coach.
In perhaps his best performance in years, Rodgers threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-3 victory Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, making several plays off the pad, on the move and out of the pocket.
And yet the viral moment of the game was Rodgers' awkward encounter with coach Robert Saleh as the Jets took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on Breece Hall's 1-yard touchdown run.
When Rodgers returned to the sideline, he patted Saleh on the hand, who then walked over to hug him. Rodgers was in no mood for a hug. He gave Saleh a gentle shove and stared at him as he walked away. The quarterback's body language seemed to say, “It's too early to celebrate like that.”
Afterwards, both men tried to downplay the matter.
“He's not a big hugger, so I didn't know he was going to do it,” Rodgers said with a smile. “He also likes to do the two-handed chest push. He talks about two-touchdown leads a lot. So I gave him a push and said, 'Two-touchdown lead.'”
Saleh said they had talked before the game about the importance of giving the defense a two-score lead. Once that happened, Saleh apparently wanted to have a brotherly hug with his franchise quarterback, who apparently had other ideas.
They laughed, which is easier to do after a victory, the second in a row for the Jets (2-1), who dominated from the start with Rodgers dissecting the New England defense.
“This was the first step to playing like I know I'm capable of,” Rodgers said. “I felt like I was myself five years ago.”
Rodgers (27 of 35) became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to complete 75% of his passes in a game and throw for at least 250 yards at age 40 or older. He joined Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Brett Favre.
What made this performance so special was the way he moved to escape the pressure. After two mediocre performances in terms of mobility, the 40-year-old Rodgers looked quicker when escaping the pressure.
He completed 6 of 6 passes for 88 yards when throwing outside the pocket, his most completions outside the pocket without an incompletion in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Research. Rodgers, who hasn't handled pressure well in the first two games, beat the Patriots (1-2) with his quick release and ability to elude running backs.
“The good thing is he showed the mobility that we saw in training camp,” Saleh said. “He may not be what he once was with his legs, but his arm is still 30 years old and his mind is still functioning at a high level.”
It was an emotional night for Rodgers, who returned to the scene of last season's season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. This time, he stayed out for the entire game. By the third quarter, the crowd was chanting his name.
He gave the Jets a 7-0 lead with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Allen Lazard, who responded by running back to Rodgers and handing him the ball. Lazard, who played with Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers, wanted him to have the ball because he knew it was a special night.
“I'm very happy for him,” Lazard said. “To be able to come back here, at 40 years old, after recovering from an Achilles injury, and play three games in 10 days, I'm very proud of everyone, especially him. It was a special moment for us.”
Rodgers directed touchdown drives of 73, 91 and 66 yards, spreading the ball among eight different receivers. He put the game out of reach with a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson with 6:18 left in the third quarter, making the score 21-3.
Rodgers missed on the previous play, so he wanted to give Wilson another chance near the goal line. Rodgers said he committed the “mortal sin” of a quarterback by making a premeditated decision, forcing Wilson to throw.
“He said something to me coming back to the huddle, like, 'Throw me the ball again,' which is great,” Rodgers said. “So I told him it was OK.”
On a run-and-pass option, Rodgers fired a laser beam that reached Wilson a split second before cornerback Christian Gonzalez arrived. It was Wilson's first touchdown of the season, breaking an eight-game touchdown drought.
“The end zone and I have a complicated relationship right now,” Wilson said. “So it definitely felt good to get along with the end zone.”
