by Leonard Shapiro; For the AJC , The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Call them the roiling Redskins as they come to town to play the Falcons on Sunday afternoon, a team in turmoil still searching for an offense and soon likely to be looking for a new starting quarterback, head coach and possibly a general manager, as well.

Things have gotten so bad, the team's usually media-shy owner, Daniel Snyder, broke his season-long silence this week and admitted that "we're disappointed, and we're embarrassed."

Against the Eagles, the Redskins matched their highest point total of the year in falling to 2-5, a record that includes losses that ended Detroit's 19-game losing streak and provided Kansas City (1-6) and Carolina (3-4) with their first victories of the season. Washington's wins came against St. Louis and Tampa Bay, now a combined 1-14.

After the Carolina game, Vinny Cerrato, the vice president of Football operations and Snyder yes-man, told embattled coach and offensive play-caller Jim Zorn that a "new set of eyes" was coming to town to try to get the offense on track. Those somewhat tired peepers belonged to 68-year-old Sherman Lewis, a long-time former NFL offensive coordinator who had been retired since the 2004 season and lately had been staying mentally sharp by calling Bingo games at a Michigan retirement home when he wasn't helping serve meals on wheels.

A week later, Cerrato, the personnel genius who put this mess together in cahoots with the forever meddling Snyder, informed Zorn that Lewis would take over play-calling responsibilities against the Eagles, and for the rest of the season.

However, Lewis was hardly the answer against Philadelphia, with quarterback Jason Campbell getting sacked six times and throwing an interception, running back Clinton Portis gaining 43 yards and heaving his helmet in frustration on the sidelines and the team gaining a not-so grand total of 308 yards of offense.

Campbell is in the final year of his contract and almost certainly will leave via free agency after the season, if he can physically manage to stand upright to walk out the door. He has been pounded virtually every week, mainly because of an already shaky offensive line that has been a recurring weak link for the past two years. Making matters even worse, starting guard Randy Thomas and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Chris Samuels are now on injured reserve.

The Redskins also will face the Falcons without their leading receiver, tight end Chris Cooley, who broke a bone in his leg against Philadelphia and will be lost for at least a month. His replacement, second-year man Fred Davis, had seven catches against Philadelphia, but his blocking skills are suspect and he was directly responsible for at least three of Campbell's sacks that day.

The only good news on this team involves a rather sturdy defense, anchored by $100 million free-agent acquisition Albert Haynesworth at defensive tackle. A 360-pound force who does his best work against the run, Haynesworth has been effective at times, though he also has demonstrated a tendency to get hurt or become winded and take a play or three off.

Still, the Redskins are tied for fourth in total defense in the NFL, second against the pass, and veteran middle linebacker London Fletcher is a tackling terror from sideline to sideline as well as the team's emotional leader on and off the field.

Zorn keeps trying to put a brave face on all of this and insisted this week there will be "no major scheme changes" against the Falcons . He also said he appreciated the support of former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, his old boss in Seattle who blasted Redskins management in a radio interview earlier in the week over its treatment of Zorn in the play-calling debacle.

"I appreciate Mike," Zorn said. "One of the things he mentioned was that it makes me look foolish. That's hard for me. Nobody wants to be a fool out there. ... I certainly hope that I don't look foolish out there in a Redskins coaching outfit."

Next for Falcons

Who: vs. Redskins

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

TV; radio: Fox, 92.9

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