EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Jets earned their second win of the season on Thursday night, 24-3, against the New England Patriots. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers impressed in his return to MetLife Stadium by throwing for two touchdowns in the first half as the crowd chanted his name.

Here are the key things you need to know for both teams on Thursday night:

Simply put, it was Rodgers, a true classic, whose second home game for the Jets was a lot more cheerful than the first.

This time, Rodgers wowed the crowd at MetLife Stadium with his stunning accuracy and a series of off-platform throws, throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ second straight victory.

At the end of the third quarter, the sold-out crowd chanted his name. Now think back to last season’s opener on September 11. The stadium fell eerily silent when Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of the season and was helped off the field.

On Thursday night, Rodgers (27 of 35) looked like a point guard, distributing the ball to everyone around him. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Tellingly, the 40-year-old quarterback moved well in and out of the pocket, much better than he had in the first two games. That he did so on a short week — just three days of rest — bodes well for the rest of the season.

The Jets entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. When Rodgers plays like this, anything seems possible in the Jets universe.

Describe the game in two words: Complete domination. The Jets controlled the ball 40:04 and outscored the Patriots 400-139.

Promising trend: The Jets’ pass rush, without Jermaine Johnson (season-ending Achilles injury) and Haason Reddick (holdout), was game. Led by defensive end Will McDonald IV (2.5 sacks), who now has 5.5 on the season, the Jets smothered quarterback Jacoby Brissett. They finished with seven sacks, bringing their season total to 14.

Does this mean the defense is back in the top 5? No. For perspective, the Patriots and Tennessee Titans have played two bad offenses over the past two weeks.

Buy the Allen Lazard and Tyler Conklin performances: A year ago, Lazard was such a nonfactor that he was benched after signing a four-year, $44 million contract. He appears reborn with Rodgers as his quarterback, giving the offense an extra weapon on the perimeter.

The former Green Bay Packers teammates scored a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter, Lazard’s third of the season. He finished with three catches for 48 yards. Conklin, a nonfactor in the first two games, exploded with five receptions for 93 yards. In games where Garrett Wilson is quiet, Conklin and Lazard can be solid secondary options in the passing attack.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Maybe we’re being nitpicky, but Rodgers and Wilson still seem to have some chemistry issues to work out. They were on different pages on a couple of routes.

Wilson did score a touchdown on a 2-yard pass — a laser from Rodgers — but it was otherwise a quiet night for the star receiver, who was covered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Rodgers avoided that matchup, as he targeted Wilson nine times. He’s had a slow start to his third season and is drawing more attention from opponents.

Next match: vs. Denver Broncos (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 29)

All the good vibes the Patriots generated in two competitive games to open the season evaporated in a New York minute on Thursday night. The score didn’t reflect how one-sided it was.

While Rodgers made it look easy for the Jets, it was a tractor pull for quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots, whose four first downs in the first half were the fewest the franchise had in a half since 2000. The Patriots had 40 yards of offense in the first half, as they were outgained by 212 yards in the first 30 minutes.

Brissett was fired five years ago times and never looked comfortable in the pocket. The Patriots started rookie Caedan Wallace at left tackle because Vederian Lowe was out with an ankle injury, and his growing pains were evident on one second-half drive where he was assessed back-to-back holding penalties. It felt like a free-for-all at times.

Describe the game in two words: Completely surpassed. From the opening kick-off the result never felt like it was in doubt.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Block and tackle. It sounds simple, but head coach Jerod Mayo said Thursday games usually come down to which team plays with better fundamentals. That was a strength in the first two games, but it resulted in too many free rushers being allowed on offense, and too many missed tackles and bad angles on defense.

QB Analysis: Brissett often ran for his life because of the shaky protection. If there was one throw he wanted back, it was in the first quarter when he sent tight end Austin Hooper down the left sideline and made a miss.

Rookie QB Drake Maye made his NFL regular season debut with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, trailing 24-3. He went 4-8 for 22 yards and was sacked twice.

Worrying trend: This is the second straight week that the Patriots defense has failed to come up with decisive answers against the pass. Rodgers’ ability to move the ball quickly and deliver it accurately has made it difficult to pressure a front seven that is playing without linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (torn pectoral muscle).

And the coverage in the secondary, where every starter was available, wasn’t up to its usual standard. Mayo had stressed the importance of keeping quarterbacks in the pocket after Week 2, and the Patriots had the same issues against Rodgers.

Next match: at San Francisco 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 29)