His arm was still as remarkable, but he was also quick on his feet and cool under pressure. He finished the night with 281 yards on 27 of 35 passing for a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding three scrambles for 18 yards.

“I felt really good out there,” Rodgers said. “I felt really good in pregame and I’ve made progress. I told you guys after Week 1 that it was going to be a process of continuing to extend plays as I get more comfortable, and this was kind of the first step in playing the way I know I can play. I felt like I was myself a couple years ago.”

The final score and stats didn’t exactly paint an accurate picture, as Rodgers was in control and building anticipation for what lay ahead for the Jets.

“He showed the mobility that we’ve seen in training camp,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said, “and like I said, he may not be what he used to be, but he’s still got a lot in his legs, and his arm is still 30, and his mind is still functioning at a high level. He was definitely impressive today.”

While this was Rodgers’ third game back since his Achilles injury last year, it was his first for the Gang Green faithful. Still, road games against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans calmed his nerves a bit before Thursday’s theatrics.

“I felt really calm about it, honestly, I didn’t think about it too much,” he said. “Of course it was emotional coming home for the first time since then, but I really think the first week took away a lot of the fears and worries of playing, and tonight I feel like I played pretty freely.”

As it turned out, he was phenomenal from the start, even when New York, which opened the game on offense, punted on its first possession. Rodgers completed his first four attempts and scraped for a first down. He was also sacked, and getting back up from that was likely another hurdle to overcome on the MetLife field.

Rodgers, of course, saw his first game and season with the Jets end after his fourth snap in 2023, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Buffalo Bills.

He’s played three games now and while the season is still in its early stages, Thursday was evidence of what the Jets’ offense could be with Rodgers performing well and his supporting cast taking a step forward.

He threw a 10-yard touchdown to Allen Lazard to open the scoring. His former Green Bay Packers running mate now leads the NFL with three touchdown catches.

While it was a classic version of Rodgers taking center stage, the future Hall of Famer also got a first when he connected with Garrett Wilson for his second TD of the night.

It was the first touchdown of what Jets fans hope will be many between Rodgers and Wilson, but it was also the first touchdown Rodgers threw in his career to a wide receiver drafted in the first round.

“Garrett is a special athlete, a special route runner and he’s got so much range of motion, so special as far as improvising and his route running, but they’re getting closer, they’re continuing to work together and it’s only Week 3,” Saleh said. “This is such a long season and those two are only going to get better.”

As historic as the Rodgers-Wilson score was, it was also a beautiful play to behold.

Rodgers made a side pass to Wilson, who made a great catch and then managed to get the ball inside the cone for six points.

As he tore the Pats apart, Rodgers played all of his biggest hits, the 40-year-old looking much like the 38-year-old design that won his fourth career MVP. He threw off-platform beauties, flashed his arm strength, was agile in and out of the pocket and, perhaps most impressively, was how good he was in the face of pressure.

In his previous two games, Rodgers was a combined 4 of 10 for 26 yards with no touchdowns and an interception while under pressure, according to Next Gen Stats. Against New England, he was pressured on 30 percent of his dropbacks but was a sensational 7 of 8 for 95 yards and a 116.1 rating.

Rodgers was in top form in prime time, complemented by phenomenal performances from running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, tight end Tyler Conklin and the aforementioned Wilson and Lazard. It all came with a Jets defense that looked as dominant as it has in recent seasons.

This is what Gotham had in mind when it acquired Rodgers in the 2023 offseason. And Rodgers hopes this is just the start of something special to come.

“We’re trying to change this whole attitude here, we’re trying to build something special here, get these fans to believe in us,” Rodgers told Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung immediately after the game. “They’ve been tortured for a long time. Last year was obviously a tough year, but it’s good to be back, it’s good to be healthy. Again, so many people that I’m thankful for that have gotten me to this point, but it’s great to be a Jet, great to have nights like this.”