"They have quit on Zorn," it read.

While that may be a strong statement - though the three most recent first-quarter starts do suggest some Redskins have checked out mentally on a season that began so promisingly - the questions about Zorn and his staff continue to mount: Why can't the Redskins score more points? Why can't the defense get off the field in the fourth quarter? Why can't they beat awful teams?

The Redskins have lost to St. Louis (2-12) and Cincinnati (2-11-1) and barely beat Detroit (0-14) and Seattle (3-11). Since the comeback win in Philadelphia 12 weeks ago, there have been few signs of improvement, which is almost worse than the losing streaks of two and three games.

Q: Another Sunday, another pathetic start for the Redskins. When the Bengals were staked to a 17-0 lead, did you sense a comeback by the Redskins?

A: It wasn't ruled out, because the Bengals stink. Bad teams occasionally start fast before collapsing because of inferior personnel. When the Redskins trailed 17-10 and reached the Cincinnati 1-yard line, a touchdown would have put the Redskins in control. But Mike Sellers fumbled.

Q: The Redskins didn't have starting tackles Jon Jansen and Chris Samuels. How did that impact the playcalling?

A: Zorn said not much, and that seems partly true. A few times, the Redskins gave Jason Fabini and Stephon Heyer help in pass protection, but the shots downfield were minimal. Jason Campbell's longest completion was 20 yards. There wasn't a lot of running room for Clinton Portis, and that falls on the entire offensive line.

Q: Against the league's lowest-scoring offense, the Redskins allowed 20 points and 310 yards. Cincinnati entered averaging 11.8 points and 233.9 yards. How does that happen?

A: The Redskins played without Cornelius Griffin and Chris Horton, and Carlos Rogers was limited because of illness. Still, a 79-yard screen pass? That's insane, especially when London Fletcher said after the game he knew what was coming. Too bad none of his teammates knew. As soon as Fletcher gave himself up to eliminate blockers, Cedric Benson was off to the races. More troubling is that the Redskins can't make big stops when the other team has the lead. The Bengals controlled the ball for 10:48 of the fourth quarter.

Q: What was more comical - the crowd in Cincinnati or the Redskins' pass rush?

A: The pass rush (or lack thereof) in a no contest. At least Jason Taylor pushed his season total to 1.5 sacks; he even had three tackles. That should earn him a fashionable cover photo on Washingtonian magazine. The crowd in Cincinnati was sparse (announced at 63,996 - yeah, right), but it gained enthusiasm as the Bengals moved in position to win.

Q: Zorn was asked whether it will be tough to stay focused amid the speculation about his job if the Redskins finish 7-9. He said it wouldn't. Believe him?

A: Zorn should get a slight benefit of the doubt. During the season, these coaches rarely know what's going on outside the walls of Redskin Park. But there's little doubt he is reading some of the reports. Unless the Redskins totally bail on the last two games, The Danny's decision to keep Zorn should be easy. But interestingly, Karl Swanson, Snyder's personal public relations contact, attended Zorn's postgame press conference for the first time this season.

Q: Two games remain for the Redskins. Give us a reason to watch.

A: Division home games are always interesting, and the Redskins have one against Philadelphia next weekend. Maybe the Redskins can man up on their home field. The finale at San Francisco? Yikes, that's a tough one to gather interest for. Maybe tune in to see whether the Redskins can do the unthinkable - go 6-2 in the first half and 1-7 in the second.