Colts demolish the Jets to boost playoff hopes
ANDREW Luck threw for four touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts boosted their playoff hopes with a 41-10 thrashing of the New York Jets at the MetLife Stadium on Monday.
Luck, ret u r n i ng a s st a r ter a f ter missing t he Colts’ prev ious game follow ing a concussion, picked out tight end Dwayne Allen for t hree f irst-half touchdow ns to set up a win which leaves Indianapolis tied for first in the AFC South.
The Colts a re now level wit h t he Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans on 6-6 in t he tightest div ision in the AFC.
The Colts host Houston on Sunday aiming to edge clear in t he div ision.
Luck meanwhile showed no lingering after-effects from his concussion, going 22 of 28 for 278 yards.
His fourth touchdown pass was a 3-yard lob to Donte Moncrief in the third quarter.
Running back Robert Turbin barrelled over from 5 yards for the Colts’ fifth score of the night six seconds into the fourth quarter. That was the cue for Luck to be removed from the fray for understudy Scott Tolzien.
Allen, meanwhile, was left celebrating a feast of touchdowns. His three six-pointers were equal to his total from his previous 22 games stretching back to the start of the 2015 season.
But the defeat sealed another miserable season for the Jets, who fell to 3-9 and are now eliminated from playoff contention.
The game may well have marked the end of a n era for quarterback Ryan Fit zpat rick, who was benched a f ter the second quarter in favour of Br yce Pett y.
Petty went 11 of 25 for 135 yards with one touchdown, an impressive 41-yard connection with Robby Anderson.
Fitzpatrick, 34, made just five of 12 attempts for 81 yards and an interception in a poor first half display. The veteran becomes a free agent at the end of the season.