Aaron Rodgers left his home field on his own terms Thursday night — the first time he’s done so as the New York Jets’ quarterback.
In his second home opener for the Jets, Rodgers had his best game with the team, leading New York to a 24-3 win over the New England Patriots.
Rodgers’ home debut with the Jets last season was limited to only four plays after he tore an Achilles. On Thursday, he completed 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Rodgers looked comfortable after having thrown for under 200 yards in each of his first two starts this season. Not only did he clear that benchmark against the Patriots; he looked incredibly mobile only a little over a year after tore the Achilles on the same field. Rodgers routinely extended plays running outside the pocket, and he also scrambled for 18 yards.
Overall, New York thoroughly dominated New England. The Jets had 27 first downs to the Patriots’ 11. They outgained New England 400 yards to 139. They averaged 5.7 yards per play, compared with 2.9. They also controlled the ball for a whopping 40 minutes and 4 seconds of the game.
Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett was 12-of-18 passing with 98 yards. Rookie Drake Maye came in for relief on the team’s last drive. He was 4-of-8 for 22 yards, also running for 12. The No. 3 overall pick was almost intercepted on his first pass, and he was sacked twice, but he also led the team into the red zone before the clock expired.
The Patriots fell 1-2.
The Jets are 2-1 for the first time since 2015, which is also the last year they beat New England at home.