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Rich Cimini, ESPN editor-in-chief
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New England Patriots have struggled to get through New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So has their coach.
In what may have been his best performance in years, Rodgers passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-3 victory Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, making several off-platform plays on the move and outside 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 one-yard touchdown run.
When Rodgers returned to the sideline, he slapped Saleh’s hand away, and Saleh reached out for a hug. Rodgers wasn’t in the mood to hug him. 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 this.”
Afterwards, both men tried to take the matter lightly.
“He’s not a big hugger in general, so I didn’t know he was going to hug me,” Rodgers said with a smile. “He also likes to do the two-handed chest thrust. He talks a lot about two points up. So I pushed him and said, ‘Two points up.’”
Saleh said they discussed before the game the importance of giving the defense a two-point lead. Once that happened, Saleh apparently wanted to hug his franchise quarterback, who apparently had other ideas.
They laughed about it, which is easier to do after a victory – the second straight for the Jets (2-1), who dominated from the start with Rodgers dissecting New England’s defense.
“It was kind of the first step to playing the way I know I can,” Rodgers said. “I felt like I was back to being myself five years ago.”
Rodgers (27 of 35) became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to complete 75 percent of his passes in a game while throwing for at least 250 yards at age 40 or older, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Brett Favre.
What made this performance so special was the way he moved to escape pressure. After two pedestrian performances in terms of mobility, Rodgers, 40, looked quicker to escape pressure.
He completed 6 of 6 passes for 88 yards outside the pocket, the most in the last 15 years without an incomplete pass, according to ESPN Research. Rodgers, who didn’t handle pressure well in the first two games, beat the Patriots (1-2) with his quickness and ability to elude rushers.
“The cool thing is he showed the mobility that we saw in training camp,” Saleh said. “He may not be what he 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 his season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. This time, he stayed put 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 receiver Allen Lazard, who responded by running to Rodgers and passing 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 so happy for him,” Lazard said. “To be able to come back here, at 40 years old, coming off an Achilles tendon, and playing three games in 10 days, 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, spreading the ball among eight receivers. They put the game out of reach with a 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Garrett Wilson with 6:18 left in the third quarter, making the score 21-3.
Rodgers missed his shot on the previous play, so he wanted to give Wilson another chance near the goal line. Rodgers said he committed a quarterback’s “deadly sin” by making a premeditated decision, forcing Wilson to make one.
“He said something when he came back to the group, like, ‘Throw me the ball again,’ which was great,” Rodgers said. “So I said OK.”
On a run-and-pass option, Rodgers fired a laser that hit Wilson a split second before cornerback Christian Gonzalez arrived. It was Wilson’s first touchdown of the season, ending an eight-game touchdown drought.
“The end zone and I have a difficult relationship right now,” Wilson said. “So it was really good to get along with the end zone.”
