Stephen A. Smith notes how the Jets' poor performance reflects on Todd Bowles and in turn, African American head coaches in general. (1:19)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- One ... two ... three ... four ... five ... six.

Six straight years out of the playoffs for the New York Jets.

Shame on them.

Not that there was much suspense, but they were mathematically eliminated from contention on Monday night, losing 41-10 to the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. It ties the second-longest postseason drought in the team's post-merger history, equaling the 1992-1997 slump but still well short of the 11-year dry spell from 1970-1980.

Instead of fading quietly to also-ran status, the Jets crashed loudly into irrelevance with a performance that should put coach Todd Bowles on the hot seat. Yeah, it was that bad. It was the Jets' most lopsided loss under Bowles, whose career record dropped to 13-15.

"For the first time this year, we got our ass handed to us," said Bowles, adding it was "very troubling."

Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets were dead from the start on Monday against the Colts. Al Bello/Getty Images

The Jets (3-9), losers of four straight, weren't ready to play, not at all. There were busted coverages, three interceptions, three personal-foul penalties, dropped passes, offensive-line breakdowns, you name it. Bowles tried to create a spark by benching ineffective QB Ryan Fitzpatrick at halftime, but the bullpen call to Bryce Petty didn't accomplish anything but placate a small but angry crowd. After the game, Bowles announced Petty will start the final four games.

Nothing worked. The only thing missing was a Butt Fumble. In two Monday night appearances this season, the Jets have been outscored, 69-13.

They're a prime-time laughingstock.

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Bowles always says they must learn how to finish games. This week, they forgot to start -- a stinging indictment of Bowles, who admitted, "I don't think we had a lot of effort."

Whoa, that's a pretty harsh assessment for a coach to make, but Bowles was disgusted by this performance, threatening lineup changes. Other players echoed his sentiment, questioning effort. That's never a good sign.

"All of it falls on me," Bowles said. "I'm the head coach."

Owner Woody Johnson, who watched from his private suite with vice president-elect Mike Pence, must be wondering if Bowles is the right man to lead his team. Johnson, who fired Rex Ryan only two years ago, is looking to create continuity. The owner probably doesn't want to dump Bowles, a good man with a strong football pedigree, but Bowles is giving him the ammunition.

The Jets have a short week to prepare for the woeful San Francisco 49ers (1-11). Bowles needs a win in the worst way, although he insisted he's not worried about his job.

"You know your job is in jeopardy when you take one of these jobs," he said, repeating his stock answer.

The defensive-minded Bowles presided over a unit that allowed four touchdown passes by Andrew Luck, who had open receivers all night. The Jets didn't bother to cover tight end Dwayne Allen, who scored on 7- and 21-yard receptions to give the Colts a 14-0 lead.

Luck began the week as the NFL's most-sacked quarterback but was sacked only once by the Jets, who failed to generate heat with their front four. The high-priced defensive line was a no-show. Blitz? Bowles has turned into an overly cautious play-caller this season, and he didn't blitz nearly enough. The defense has underachieved from Day 1.

Bowles also has mishandled the quarterback situation, deciding too late to sit down Fitzpatrick (5-for-12, 81 yards, one interception). He kept saying Fitzpatrick gave them the best chance to win, but here's the thing: They weren't winning. Fitzpatrick is 2-8 as the starter.

As ESPN analyst Jon Gruden noted a few times during the telecast, Petty isn't ready for the starting job. He proved it, throwing two interceptions on bad decisions. He was thrown into a tough spot, trailing 24-3 at halftime. He threw almost every down -- good experience -- managing one touchdown pass. He showed his inexperience, finishing 11-for-25 for 135 yards. He was victimized by a few drops, but managed a 40-yard scoring pass to Robby Anderson.

That made it 41-10.

"This was a stomping, a beat down, insert any other synonym -- ass-whupping," tackle Ben Ijalana said. "It's like we got jumped."