Requiem time?

 This is the end

My only friend, the end …

Oops, sorry. Just rehearsing Chris Ballard’s next number.

And that’s Shane Steichen singin’ harmony.

With a nod, and huge apologies, to Jimmy Morrison and the Doors, of course.

And, sure, maybe I’m being a tad melodramatic here, but, hoo, boy, what the heck was THAT yesterday? Losing at home to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, for cryin’ out loud? Making the Titans defense look like all gnarly and fierce, while Steichen’s and Ballard’s Colts looked worthless and weak?*

(*Gratuitous “Animal House” reference)

Here’s how the Horseshoes lost 26-20 yesterday, at home, to one of the weakest teams in the NFL:

* Gave up a 58-yard punt return to set up one Titans score.

* Gave up another touchdown on a blocked punt return.

* Turned it over three times — twice on Daniel Jones interceptions, once on a Jonathan Taylor fumble — and allowed six sacks.

* Got outscored 26-7 in the second half to blow a 13-0 halftime lead.

No wonder Ballard and Steichen might be tuning up that old Doors standard. 

They came into this season with a distinctly un-subtle mandate from owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon — win or hit the bricks — and now the Colts are 2-4 and the two wins were against 2-4 Houston and a 1-3-1 Washington team that was playing a third-string quarterback from Rutgers. 

(They also pushed the Chiefs to overtime in K.C. before losing 33-30. People are still trying to figure out that one out.)

So now here they are with a slower Daniel Jones (thanks to the Achilles tear that knocked him out last season), a “meh” receiver room and a defense whose best player is a 32-year-old nose tackle who was thinking recreating before this season (DeForrest Buckner). 

After starting 8-1 last season, they’ve gone 2-12 since.

This is surely not what Irsay-Gordon had in mind when, in so many words, she said Ballard and Steichen had to show her something or else.

It’s also not what she had in mind when the fans were sending down boos yesterday afternoon.

Those boos might or might not have been a requiem of sorts for Ballard and Steichen. But at this point, you’ve gotta be leaning toward the former.