Death always appears to be untimely to me, but for Robert Irsay, deceased owner of the Indianapolis Colts, a January funeral came just in time so he did not have to witness the slow execution of his franchise.

With a record of 0-10, the Colts must be the butt of many jokes in the Chicago Bears’ or Atlanta Falcons’ locker room. I like the Colts I generally like the team even if an 0-16 season is a real possibility. But they already have broken an NFL record for the worst start coming off of a winning season.

Where have things gone wrong? Last season, the Colts were AFC leaders with real potential for returning to the playoffs in the 1997 season (it would have seemed) and finally defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Who can loyal Colts fans, like myself, blame? Where is the problem?

The Colts rank dead last in the AFC in total offense with 2,655 yards, and they average only 87 rushing yards per game. It would appear that the last good game Marshal Faulk had was during a game I played on a Sony Playstation. In that electronic game against the Falcons, Faulk gained 80 yards before being injured and taken out of the game on his third run. Surprise, surprise.

Quarterbacks are a source of pain on the team. The Colts rank 23rd in the NFL in passing. Veteran Jim Harbaugh led the league in passing a few years ago, but a recent scuffle with NFL analyst Jim Kelly has Harbaugh on the sidelines with a chipped bone in his hand.

Replacement Paul Justin was injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that matters little because he has not been effective. Kelly Holcomb, 24, is the unknown third-string quarterback who nearly led the Colts to their first victory against the Bucs after Justin was taken out. Holcomb shows promise, but he is young and inexperienced.

Problem-bad attitude/shaky offensive line/inexperience/injury.

The Colts rank sixth in the NFL in pass defense, but they could probably be No. 1 if Dedric Mathis, a 1996 second-round draft choice, was traded, benched or injured. Mathis allowed several key catches in the Bucs game, and his costly penalty allowed a score on a Bucs’ drive. He has promise, but it has not shown through. The left corner is another story, as Carlton Gray continues to be a solid fundamental player.

Injuries have plagued many Colts players. Linebacker Steve Grant is out with a neck injury, while guard Eric Mahlum is recovering from knee surgery

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Problem-everyone but Chris Gardocki.

So it appears that the Colts could manage an 0-16 season and aim their sights on that quarterback from the University of Tennessee. What difference would it make, though? Coach Lindy Leaky Infante would continue to start Harbaugh. Maybe the Colts would be better off using their apparent first-round draft pick to gain other players.

The only other contenders are the Bears, but the Bears are good for at least another victory or so this season.

No, what I see in Indianapolis is a little phenomenon called passing the buck. It must be difficult for fans to blame injuries and other factors on this massively poor season, but I see it another way.

Thinking back to that Sony Playstation game, I recall being able to manipulate individual players’ abilities like running speed, accuracy and tackling ability. If I could somehow magically manipulate the real-life Colts abilities, I would only need to alter one variable.