Aaron Rodgers, Robert Saleh laugh off denied hug as Jets roll - ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New England Patriots had a hard time getting their arms around New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So did his coach.

In perhaps his finest 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 from the game was Rodgers' awkward encounter with coach Robert Saleh when the Jets took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter on Breece Hall's 1-yard touchdown run.

When Rodgers returned to the sideline, he slapped hands with Saleh, who then moved in for a hug. Rodgers was in no mood for an embrace. He gave Saleh a gentle shove and glared at him as he walked away. The quarterback's body language seemed to be saying, «It's too early to be celebrating like that.»

Afterward, both men tried to make light of it.

«He's not a big hugger usually, so I didn't know he was going for the hug,» Rodgers said with a smile. «He likes to do the two-hand chest push as well. He talks a lot about two-score leads. So I kind of gave him a push and said, 'Two-score lead.'»

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

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

«This was kind of the first step in playing like I know I'm capable of playing,» Rodgers said. «I felt like I was myself from five years ago.»

Rodgers (27-for-35) became the fourth quarterback in