WOODY COLUMN: How long can the Skins go with Zorn?

LANDOVER, Md. No NFL team is out of the playoff picture six games into the season.

But with a 2-4 record and consecutive losses to clubs that had been winless, the Washington Redskins are in serious trouble.

And while they are not yet eliminated from the playoff race, it is clear they have eliminated themselves from the points race.

The Redskins do not score often, and they do not score enough.

Yesterday, they put six points on the board against the Kansas City Chiefs. And, the offense gave the Chiefs two points on a safety, the second consecutive week the Redskins have been caught in the wrong end zone.

The Redskins had just seven first downs and were successful on only 2 of 14 third-down plays.

"How do you do that," Redskins coach Jim Zorn wondered.

Good question. How does an NFL team do that?

"This offense is better than six points, and that's on me," Zorn said. "It's my fault, my fault.

"I take full responsibility. I've got to come up with answers."

It should be apparent there are no answers for the Redskins' problems, short of replacing the entire offense and starting over.

That will come next season.

For now, the inescapable conclusion is that Zorn soon will be replaced.

"That part is not up to me," Zorn said. "I've got to create answers on the football field."

Zorn looked for answers everywhere in yesterday's 14-6 loss. He finally ran out of patience with starting quarterback Jason Campbell and replaced him with Todd Collins.

Collins provided an immediate spark with a 42-yard completion to wide receiver Santana Moss. That led only to a field goal. On the Redskins' next possession, a 78-yard run by Clinton Portis took the Redskins to the Kansas City 10.

They had to settle for another field goal.

After that, Collins' spark smoldered and the Redskins offense' spun its wheels.

The offense is lifeless. The Redskins lack capable players. Injuries have forced them to start offensive linemen who probably could not be backups on any other team.

The wide receivers are limited. Moss can make big plays but is on the downside of his career. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas were supposed to add production to the receiving corps. Yesterday, they combined to catch three passes for no yards. That's not a misprint. They gained zero yards.

Two years ago, maybe even a year ago, Portis would have turned that 78-yard run to the Chiefs' 10 into an 88-yard touchdown run.

Zorn thinks the players still believe in him and his plan.

"I get confidence from our players and their want-to and their belief that what we are doing is right, I really do," Zorn said.

It's difficult to get the sense that such sentiment is returned. Players believe in coaches who help them win. The Redskins are 10-12 under Zorn.

Campbell, the most important piece of the offense, spent the off-season reading reports that he was going to be replaced. Yesterday, Zorn replaced him.

Campbell has no reason to have confidence in Zorn. And to make matters worse, it is apparent Campbell has no confidence in his protection and little in his receivers.

Campbell, though, has done nothing to win anyone's confidence. He's had ample opportunity to prove he is a capable NFL starter, and he has not done so.

The Redskins are on the precipice of an abyss. They have played what should have been the easier portion of their schedule. In the next six games, they play Philadelphia twice, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and New Orleans.

Six points will not keep them close against those teams.

"Coach Zorn is a standup guy to take the blame, but it's not his fault," running back Ladell Betts said. "He doesn't block for us. He doesn't throw passes. He doesn't run the ball. He doesn't catch the ball. That's the players' problems. We're not executing the plays properly. That's on us.

"We're offensively challenged."

No one disputes that. This mess is not entirely of Zorn's making, but he has to fix it. He has offered no evidence he can.

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or . Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/World_of_Woody