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Eagles-Redskins Preview

Oct 23, 2009 - 4:36 PM Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn was stripped of his play-calling duties this week. Still, he has been given a vote of confidence.

Forced to let newcomer Sherm Lewis direct the offense, Zorn won't have to worry about losing his job as Washington hosts the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Redskins management caused a stir this week by announcing it would no longer allow Zorn to call the plays, instead giving that role to Lewis in hopes of sparking a sluggish offense. Lewis, lured out of retirement two weeks ago to take a job as a consultant, spent 22 years as an assistant but hadn't been in the NFL since 2004.

With Washington (2-4) on a bye following this game, there had been rumors that Zorn could be fired next week - especially if things didn't go well Monday night. On Friday, though, executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato told ESPN980 that Zorn will remain coach "for the rest of this season and hopefully into the future."

Cerrato said he hopes his remarks will make things "totally crystal clear" about Zorn's status, leaving the team to focus on winning games.

The switch to Lewis as the play-caller came almost immediately following a 14-6 home loss to previously winless Kansas City last Sunday.

The Redskins are averaging 13.2 points, fourth-fewest in the league. They've failed to get into the end zone in two of their three games at FedEx Field.

"The reason I can comply with this is simply because of the lack of scoring," Zorn said. "I want to win, too. If this has to be done this week, if this is going to be the key, I'm certainly willing to give it a try. Because we're 2-4 and to not score in the last few weeks, the way we have not scored, is very frustrating.

"Sometimes we have to do things that are uncomfortable."

Zorn appears to have made one decision on his own, naming Jason Campbell the starting quarterback against the Eagles after benching him against the Chiefs.

Campbell went 9 for 16 for a season-low 89 yards with an interception before being replaced by Todd Collins. The backup didn't look any better, going 6 for 14 for 75 yards in his first game since 2007.

Campbell, the 25th overall selection in the 2005 draft, was nearly replaced by the front office during the offseason.

"I've been on a shorter leash since March," Campbell said.

The play-calling of the Eagles (3-2) also has come under scrutiny.

They were heavily favored to win a third consecutive game against a struggling opponent last Sunday, but lost 13-9 to an Oakland team that had been outscored 96-16 over its previous three games.

"It's a great lesson to learn that no team is as good as you think in this league and no team is as bad as you think in this league," coach Andy Reid said. "It's the National Football League and you better be ready every week to play and execute as coaches and players and it starts with me."

Though the Eagles averaged 4.8 yards per carry, Reid called 54 passing plays and only 12 rushing, excluding two scrambles by quarterback Donovan McNabb that really were pass plays. Two-time Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook had six carries for 50 yards.

"We did what we thought would help us win the game, but looking back on it, we probably could have run the ball more," Reid said.

Philadelphia's 116 rushes rank among the fewest in the NFL, and Westbrook has managed just 184 yards and one touchdown on 38 carries. The Eagles rushed for 185 yards on 32 attempts in a season-opening win at Carolina but have since averaged 21.0 carries for 78.8 yards.

McNabb was sacked six times last week, matching the total Philadelphia had allowed through four games.

"We're a much better football team," said McNabb, who completed 22 of 46 passes for 269 yards.

Philadelphia lost middle linebacker Omar Gaither for the season to a foot injury but quickly replaced him by acquiring Will Witherspoon from St. Louis on Tuesday for rookie receiver Brandon Gibson and a fifth-round pick in 2010.

Weatherspoon is an eight-year veteran who had 36 tackles this year as the Rams' starter at the weakside spot. He's expected to start in Gaither's place Monday.

"He's a three-down linebacker, and he can play both the MIKE position and the WIL linebacker position," Reid said. "He's very good at both of them. He's a good cover linebacker. He has the flexibility to cover tight ends and running backs and that type of thing, which is a plus."

The Eagles dropped both meetings with the Redskins last season, falling 10-3 at FedEx Field on Dec. 21 after winning seven of their previous eight there.