EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In his first game back since suffering a concussion, Andrew Luck reminded the Indianapolis Colts they're set at quarterback for the next decade -- and helped officially send the New York Jets back to the drawing board in their quixotic search for a franchise signal-caller.

Luck threw four touchdown passes -- including three to tight end Dwayne Allen in the first half -- and finished with the best single-game passer rating of his career Monday night as the Colts moved into a tie for first place in the AFC South by routing the Jets, 41-10, at MetLife Stadium.

"It's always great to have your starting quarterback under center," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said. "I don't think we threw very many passes. Completed a bunch."

Luck, who was injured Nov. 20 and missed the Colts' 27-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers four days later, finished 22-of-28 for 278 yards and a passer rating of 147.6 before giving way early in the fourth quarter to Scott Tolzien. A perfect passer rating is 158.3.

"We know he's a talented guy, but it goes back to his preparation," Pagano said. "He does not like to not be available for his teammates. He hated missing that game.

"It's great to have him back."

Luck, who is in the first year of a six-year deal worth a maximum of $139.1 million, completed his first six passes -- including touchdown strikes of seven yards and 21 yards to Allen, who was wide open both times -- in directing the Colts to a 14-0 lead less than eight minutes into the first quarter.

Nick Folk's 38-yard field goal with 10:31 left in the first half got the Jets on the board, but the Colts answered with a 53-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. On Indianapolis' next possession, Luck and Allen hooked up again -- this time on a 23-yard score -- with 1:18 left.

"Anytime we're able to keep '12' upright, we know what he's capable of," said Allen, who had just two touchdown catches in his previous 22 games dating back to the start of last season.

Luck capped the Colts' first drive of the second half with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief that put the Colts up 31-3 He exited after Indianapolis' fifth touchdown, a 5-yard run by backup running back Robert Turbin.

"It's always fun, especially when you miss a game -- that's no fun," said Luck, who missed the final seven games of last season with a lacerated kidney. "To get back out and do some things was good."

So, too, was moving back into first place. The Colts (6-6) are tied atop the AFC South with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis hosts Houston on Sunday. The Colts lost to the Texans, 26-23, on Oct. 16 but have swept Tennessee, which means they are assured of winning the division if they win the last four games.

"We've always felt like we control our own destiny," Luck said. "We know how important this next game is. Chuck's been preaching 'one-game playoffs.' We had a one-game playoff tonight. Gotta move on. Have a one-game playoff next weekend."

The Jets (3-9), meanwhile, will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season after being eliminated from postseason contention Monday night. Head coach Todd Bowles said afterward that second-year quarterback Bryce Petty, who replaced Fitzpatrick to start the second half, will play out the string behind center for New York.

"The plan was for us to start him the last four games anyway, so we just started a half early," Bowles said. "We could have won 45-0 and he was going to start the last four games."

Fitzpatrick, a 34-year-old who will be a free agent at the end of the season, was just 5-of-12 for 81 yards -- 64 of which came on the Jets' lone scoring drive of the half -- and an interception on his final pass of the half.

Petty finished 11-of-25 for 135 yards, one touchdown -- a 41-yard strike to Robby Anderson -- and two interceptions.

Petty, who started in place of an injured Fitzpatrick on Nov. 13, is the Jets' 29th starting quarterback since Joe Namath exited in 1976. Only five post-Namath quarterbacks have started more than 60 games for the Jets.

Petty probably won't be the only new starter when New York visits the 1-11 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Bowles, who used a profane version of "butt" 12 times during his press conference, was furious with what he perceived to be a lack of effort by the Jets, who suffered their most lopsided loss since a 38-3 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 24, 2014.

"It's very troubling when you get your (butt) kicked," Bowles said. "We're going to see who wants to play. We're going to fight and play until the end and play the guys that want to play."

NOTES: A moment of silence was held prior to the game in honor of former Jets RB Joe McKnight, who was murdered in a road rage incident last Thursday. McKnight, a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2010, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in three seasons with the club. ... Jets C Nick Mangold, who missed the previous four games with an ankle injury, aggravated the injury Monday night. ... A pair of Colts, OL Denzelle Good and ILB D'Qwell Jackson, suffered concussions.