As team falters,

Zorn is feeling

the heat in D.C. Had two stints

as QB coach

with Seahawks

AARON FENTRESS

Jim Zorn euphoria in Washington, D.C., is waning.

The team is struggling. Zorn's offense is faltering. And the tale of the feel-good, rapid rise to coaching glory is turning.

Still, Zorn, the former Seattle quarterback and assistant coach, remains forthright, honest and enthusiastic about his team. It's who he is. And he doesn't plan to change, even though the heat has been turned up on him in Washington.

"I get criticized for being too honest here," Zorn said. "I think that's been written in the paper if I'm correct about that. I don't know. I'm not trying to give it all away, I'm just trying to answer the questions."

Lately, he's been answering questions about why his team has lost three of five games and is now fighting for its playoff life. Fans are griping. The media is pouncing. And Zorn's lack of experience is being called into question.

Sunday, Zorn returns to Seattle when Washington (6-4) plays a must-win game against the Seahawks (2-8). Zorn said Seattle and the Northwest will always have a place in his heart, but that he didn't have time to get wrapped up in nostalgia. His team needs a win and Seattle, when healthy, can still be formidable.

"It's very dangerous," Zorn said.

Many saw Zorn's arrival in Washington as dangerous as well. He took over a franchise that already had gone through five head coaches since Daniel Snyder purchased the team in 1997, and Zorn had never been a coordinator, let alone a head coach, in the NFL.

Zorn's former mentor, Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, also found the hiring surprising. But he said Zorn had paid his dues, especially during his time in the college ranks, working long hours in often shabby conditions.

"He worked very hard to develop his skills as a coach," Holmgren said.

Zorn retired from playing in 1987 and became the quarterbacks coach at Boise State, where he said he worked in a cramped office and loved every minute of it.

"I just thought, 'This is it,' " he said. "And the reason is, as a coach, even at the college level, you just get to concentrate on how you can better your players, how you can impact the team, but then there's all those relationships you can iNFLuence as well."

Zorn's career ultimately led him back to Seattle for two stints as quarterbacks coach, the most recent one lasting seven seasons. Under Holmgren, Zorn became hooked on the West Coast offense. And he was instrumental in helping to develop quarterback Matt Hasselbeck from a sixth-round draft pick to a Pro Bowl quarterback.

Hasselbeck said he misses the rapport he developed with Zorn, but he does not blame Zorn's departure for him having the worst season as a professional with a 55 quarterback rating.

"I have learned a lot from (new position coach Bill Lazor) but it's hard to have that kind of turnover," Hasselbeck said.

Zorn's enthusiasm helps make him an effective coach, Holmgren said.

"What impresses me about Jim is he still thinks he's 18 years old," Holmgren said. "That's kind of how he operates . . . He absolutely believes that if his ankle wasn't so wrecked, he could still play. He laughs easily. He's smart. He's young. He's young at heart. He has a bundle of energy."

These traits, however, did not necessarily make him head coach material. But Holmgren said he didn't see it that way. Honesty, he said, begets trust.

"I think every coach, first of all . . . they have to be themselves," Holmgren said. "If Jim decided to go in and be someone else, I don't think he'd have any chance at all."

Zorn's honesty was on display following Sunday's 14-10 loss to Dallas at home. He called out the offensive line, pointing out its failures in protecting quarterback Jason Campbell. He said the team's challenge is keeping Campbell "vertical" so he can get the ball downfield.

Washington began the season 4-1, averaging 25.5 points per game during a four-game win streak. Washington has averaged 14.4 points per game since, and the team ranks 22nd in sacks allowed (26).

Some have suggested that opponents have caught up with Washington's offense, a notion Zorn and his players dispute.

"Everybody is going to figure you out weekend after weekend, it doesn't have anything to do with them stopping you," wide receiver Santana Moss told reporters Monday. "I could see if it was teams just flat out whipping our behinds up and down the field, but that's not happening. It's just us coming up short."

Continuing to fall short could cost Washington a playoff berth. The team finds itself in a three-way tie for the No. 6 seed in the NFC with six games remaining.

Fortunately, Washington has games remaining against Cincinnati (1-8-1), San Francisco (3-7) and the Seahawks (2-8) to help it through. But only if it can get out of its own way.

"We have to improve," Zorn said. "You can't tread water in this league for very long. You gotta be swimming, and we're not swimming yet."

Just being honest.

Aaron Fentress: 503-221-8211;

aaronfentress@news.oregonian.com

Read his NFL blog at

blog.oregonlive.com/NFL