Andrew Luck bounced back well after a week out with concussion symptoms and led the Colts to a 41-10 romp past the New York Jets on Monday.
“To get back out there and do some decent things, that’s fun,” Luck said after throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen. “Sitting out is no fun.”
Luck missed last week’s loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.
“The quarterback was outstanding,” coach Chuck Pagano said. “It’s always great to have your starting quarterback under center.”
Allen and T.Y. Hilton were his main targets as he made 22 of 28 pass attempts for 278 yards, and they received little opposition from the Jets (3-9).
The Colts toyed with the lifeless Jets from the beginning, when New York’s Jeremy Ross got to only his 11-yard line with the opening kickoff return. A three-and-out gave Luck the ball, and seven plays later, he hit a wide-open Allen for a 7-0 edge.
Indy needed only four plays on its next series, with Allen even more open for a 21-yard reception to make it 14-0. At that juncture, the Colts had gained 120 yards, the Jets 6.
The Jets (3-9) finally found some spark as Matt Forte turned a short pass into a 40-yard gain, but that drive stalled and Nick Folk made a 38-yard field goal.
That temporarily quieted the booing fans in the stadium. But Luck hit Hilton for 23 yards on Indy’s next play, Gore ran for 19 and Adam Vinatieri kicked a 53-yard field goal to make it 17-3.
And when Allen set a career best with this third TD reception on a perfect 23-yard throw from Luck, the rout was on.
Donte Moncrief added a 3-yard touchdown, the sixth straight game he has caught one.
New York has lost four in a row and is 1-5 at home. Its performance Monday night can’t be of any help to coach Todd Bowles, who led the Jets to a 10-6 mark a year ago in his first season in charge.
“For the first time this year, we got our (butt) handed to us,” Bowles said.