FULL OF QUIT
Jets’ D a no-show in home-field humiliation
The two best defensive plays of the game for the Jets came by two guys in uniform that aren’t even on their roster.
With 8:24 remaining in the third quarter of the Jets’ humiliating 41-10 loss to the Colts on Monday night, two knuckleheads darted out of the Met Life Stadium stands and ran — serpentine — around the field before being hammered to the turf with a couple bone-crunching, open-field tackles by stadium security.
The first guy was flattened at the 26yard line and the other at the 16. Those were the two best defensive plays of the game from anyone affiliated with the Jets.
That’s how bad this night was — a low point to a season already mired in misery.
There were plenty of culprits from which to choose on a night of bad optics with Jets owner Woody Johnson entertaining incoming Vice President Mike Pence in his owner’s box at a stadium that was barely half-full for the nationally televised game.
If you’re an apologist seeking excuses for the Jets defense and its complete inability even to slow down Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, you might point to the fact they were without two injured starters — safety Calvin Pryor and defensive tackle Steve McLendon — as well as passrushing linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin.
They were not missing Ronnie Lott, Warren Sapp and Lawrence Taylor.
Most appalling about the performance of the defense was the fact the players looked utterly disinterested in playing in the first quarter. That’s as damning for the defensive players as it is for the head coach, Todd Bowles.
There were blown assignments, missed tackles and a general look like the players wanted no part of any contact — unless it was hitting a Colts player out of bounds. Because Jets cornerback Buster Skrine and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson were called for personal-foul penalties for late hits out of bounds.
By the end of the first quarter, the Colts had amassed 144 yards on offense with 10 first downs. Luck was 7-of-8 for 103 yards, two touchdown passes and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
By the end of the first half, the Colts had 268 yards of offense and 17 first downs, and Luck was 15-of-18 for 193 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 150.9.
Luck and the Indy offense marched through the Jets defense on their first possession of the game and took a 7-0 lead when Luck threw the first of three touchdown passes he would throw to tight end Dwayne Allen in the first half, this one from 7 yards out with Allen completely uncovered at the goal line.
The Jets defense set a lackluster tone early and rendered the rest of the game garbage time.
Luck finished the game 22-of-28 for 278 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 147.6 rating. His top receiver, T.Y. Hilton, caught nine passes for 146 yards, and Allen, the tight end the Jets never figured out how to cover, had four catches for 76 yards and the three touchdowns.
The 41 points was the most allowed by the Jets in Bowles’ two seasons with the team. It was the highest total of points allowed since Rex Ryan’s Jets lost 43-23 to the Bills in 2014.
The game, however, was the third completely lopsided loss in which they were non-competitive this season, joining the 24-3 loss in Kansas City and the 28-3 loss in Arizona. mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com