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Rich Cimini, ESPN writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New England Patriots had a tough time getting New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to take matters into his own hands. And so did his coach.
In perhaps his best performance in years, Rodgers passed for 281 yards and caught two touchdowns in a 24-3 win at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night, making several passes off the field while moving and outside the pocket.
But the most widely shared moment of the game was the awkward encounter between Rodgers and coach Robert Saleh when the Jets took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on Bryce Hall’s one-yard touchdown run.
When Rodgers returned to the touchline, he slapped Saleh, who hugged him. Rodgers was in no mood to embrace Saleh. Instead, he gently pushed him away and gave him an angry look as he walked away. The midfielder’s body language seemed to say: “It’s too early to be celebrating like this.”
After that, both men tried to downplay the matter.
“He doesn’t usually like hugs, so I didn’t know he was going to try to hug,” Rodgers said with a smile. “He also likes to push with his chest with both hands. He talks a lot about going two goals up. So I pushed him and said, ‘Go two goals up.’”
Saleh said they had talked before the game about the importance of giving the defense a two-goal lead. Once that happened, Saleh apparently wanted to hug his team’s midfielder, who apparently had other ideas.
They laughed it off, which is easier to do after a win — the second in a row for the New York Jets (2-1), who dominated from the start with Rodgers analyzing New England’s defense.
“It was the first step into playing like I know I can play,” Rodgers said. “I felt like I was myself five years ago.”
Rodgers (27-of-35) became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to complete 75 percent of his passes in a game and throw for at least 250 yards at age 40 or older. He joins Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Brett Favre.
What made this performance so special was the way he moved to escape pressure. After two otherwise normal performances in terms of movement, the 40-year-old Rodgers looked quicker as he escaped pressure.
He was 6-of-6 for 88 yards when he threw outside the pocket — his most completions outside the pocket without an incomplete in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Rodgers, who hadn’t handled pressure well in the first two games, overwhelmed the New England Patriots with his quick release and ability to evade tacklers.
“The great thing is he’s shown the mobility that we saw in training camp,” Saleh said. “He may not be what he was before with his legs, but his arm is still in his 30s and his mind is still working at a high level.”
It was an emotional night for Rodgers, who returned to the site of the injury that ended his season last season in Week 1. This time, he was there for the entire game. By the third quarter, the crowd was chanting his name.
The Jets gave the Bears a 7-0 lead with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Allen Lazard, who responded by running toward Rodgers and handing him the ball. Lazard, who played with Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers, wanted to make the play because he knew this was a special night.
“I’m very happy for him,” Lazard said. “He was able to come back here, at 40, come out of his Achilles tendon, play three games in ten days, and I’m very proud of everyone, especially him. It was a special moment for us.”
Rodgers led touchdown drives of 73, 91 and 66 yards, passing to eight different receivers. They put the game out of reach with a two-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jarrett Wilson with 6:18 left in the third quarter, making it 21-3.
Rodgers had made a mistake on the previous play, so he wanted to give Wilson another chance near the goal line. Rodgers said he committed the “deadly sin” of a quarterback by making a deliberate decision, forcing Wilson to punt the ball.
“He said something when he came back to the huddle, like, ‘Throw me the ball again,’ which was great, so I said OK,” Rodgers said.
On the pass option, Rodgers fired a laser goal that reached Wilson a split second before fullback Christian Gonzalez could reach it. It was Wilson’s first goal of the season, breaking an eight-game goal drought.
“My relationship with the end zone is tough right now, so it was definitely good to have a good relationship with the end zone,” Wilson said.
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