Out in the cold

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By Ryan O'Halloran

The position they occupy in the NFC playoff race should be familiar to the Washington Redskins, along with the frustration of failing to win division home games, continuing to show an inability to score touchdowns against decent opponents and becoming mistake-prone against efficient offenses.

The Redskins, who fell to eighth place in the conference Sunday with their 23-7 loss to the New York Giants, need another memorable December after a promising 6-2 first half. With four games remaining, the Redskins trail Dallas and Atlanta by a game for the final wild card spot. The Redskins needed perfect Decembers in 2005 and 2007 to secure the sixth playoff spot. It might require a 4-0 finish this year.

"As bad as it got out there for me, we're 7-5," coach Jim Zorn said. "This is not like a season-ending game and we go home and see you next year. We're still 7-5. That is bright."

While the boss presented a glass-half-full outlook for the final month of the season, his players were more matter-of-fact.

"Obviously, you have to be concerned because we've only won one of our last four games, and the one we won was against a [2-10] Seattle team that we struggled to beat," linebacker London Fletcher said. "We're not playing great football in any facet of the game. Pick an area, we need to improve it."

Said left guard Pete Kendall: "I don't think you have to spend night and day studying the playoff picture to understand that a couple games over .500 in our conference is a pretty precarious perch. That being said, we still have four opportunities to win games."

Maybe it's good for the Redskins that three of those four chances come away from home, where they are a dismal 3-4. The Redskins have lost three consecutive home games for the sixth time since 2000 and have dropped six of their past seven NFC East home games.

It has been nearly two months since the Redskins played a solid game. The offense continues to be without a three-touchdown game and has only 43 points combined in the past four games. The defense allowed a season-high 403 yards, seven third-down conversions and three completions of at least 20 yards. And the special teams is in a funk: Shaun Suisham missed a field goal for the third straight week.

Before the game, the Redskins assembled on the field to recognize Sean Taylor's induction to the team's Ring of Fame. But whether it was a distraction or the Redskins were unable to cash in on the emotion, they quickly found themselves in a hole.

"We were emotionally charged before the game," cornerback Fred Smoot said. "But they come out and get the quick score, and they never really looked back."