EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New England Patriots had a hard time wrapping their heads around New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And so did his coach.

In perhaps his best performance in years, Rodgers threw for 281 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 24-3 win Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, making several off-platform plays both in motion and outside the pocket.

Still, 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 thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run from Breece Hall.

When Rodgers returned to the sideline, he slapped Saleh’s hands, who then came over for a hug. Rodgers wasn’t in the mood for a hug. He gave Saleh a gentle shove and glared at him as he walked away. The quarterback’s body language seemed to say, “It’s too early to celebrate like this.”

Then both men tried to make fun of it.

“He’s not normally a hugger, so I didn’t know he was going for the hug,” Rodgers said with a smile. “He also likes to do the two-hand chest push. He talks a lot about two-score leads. So I gave him a little push and said, ‘Two-score lead.'”

Saleh said they talked before the game about the importance of giving the defense a two-score lead. Once that happened, Saleh apparently wanted a bro-hug with his franchise quarterback, who apparently had other ideas.

They laughed it off, which is easier after a win: the second straight for the Jets (2-1), who dominated from the start with Rodgers dissecting the New England defense.

“This was kind of a first step into playing the way I know I can play,” Rodgers said. “I felt like I was my old self from five years ago.”

Rodgers (27-for-35) became 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, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Brett Favre.

What made this performance so special was the way he moved to escape the pressure. After two pedestrian performances in terms of mobility, Rodgers, 40, seemed faster when he escaped the pressure.

He was 6-for-6 for 88 yards throwing outside the pocket — his most completions outside the pocket without an incompletion in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Research. Rodgers, who didn’t handle pressure well in the first two games, outscored the Patriots (1-2) with his quick release and ability to elude rushers.

“The cool thing was 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 and his mind is still functioning at a high level.”

It was an emotional night for Rodgers, who returned in Week 1 to the scene of last season’s season-ending Achilles injury. This time, he stayed the entire game. The crowd chanted his name in the third quarter.

He gave the Jets a 7-0 lead with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Allen Lazard, who responded by running up to Rodgers and giving 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 just so happy for him,” Lazard said. “To make it here again, 40 years old, fresh off the Achilles, playing three games in 10 days, I’m very proud of everyone, especially him. It was just a special moment for us.”

Rodgers led touchdown drives of 73, 91 and 66 yards, distributing the ball to eight different receivers. They put the game out of reach with a 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Garrett Wilson with 6:18 left in the third quarter to make it 21-3.

Rodgers had missed the previous play, so he wanted to give Wilson another chance at the goal line. Rodgers said he committed a “cardinal sin” for quarterbacks by making a premeditated decision that forced Wilson to score.

“He said something when he got back to the huddle, like, ‘Throw the ball to me one more time,’ which is awesome,” Rodgers said. “So I said OK.”

On a run-pass option, Rodgers fired a laser that reached Wilson a split second before cornerback Christian Gonzalez arrived. It was Wilson’s first touchdown of the season, snapping an eight-game touchdown drought.

“Me and the end zone have a tough relationship right now,” Wilson said. “So it definitely felt good to be on good terms with the end zone.”