ASHBURN, Va. — Tell the world that you feel like "the worst coach in America" and people will pay attention.

So much so that Jim Zorn spent the next day or so assuring people — players, fans, close friends — that he really hadn't gone off the deep end.

"Lots of people saying, 'Keep your head up, coach,' " the Washington Redskins coach said. "Well, my head wasn't down. ... I had to assure everybody, 'Hey, I'm OK.' "

Two days after his proclamation, uttered out of sheer frustration over the team's 1-5 slide, Zorn and the Redskins returned to the practice field yesterday. The coach was back to his usual chipper self, a far cry from the worn-out, aging-before-your-eyes look he had Monday in the wake of the embarrassing 20-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I've got a lot of energy left," Zorn said. "I didn't just gear up to coach two final games. I'm gearing up hopefully every year to coach in the playoffs as well."

Not this year, though. The Redskins (7-7) are barely alive mathematically headed into this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, a pickle that prompted Zorn to give the players an extra day off to do some self-examination of his performance as a coach.

Anyone expecting radical changes from the inquest will be disappointed. Zorn said his extra time with the assistants was spent reviewing plays with a more critical eye, but there apparently will no be no significant changes in the practice schedule, the lineup, the coach's West Coast offense scheme or anything else.

"What I tried to do is slow things down, and we just took time to talk about where we were at as coaches and what we could do better," Zorn said. "Some of the things we came up with were very simple because we don't have time to revamp anything. Nor should we, because we really are going in the right direction."

Meanwhile, middle linebacker London Fletcher, indignant over another Pro Bowl snub, stepped out of character and vented his frustration, calling himself "the Susan Lucci of the NFL" and deeming his career "Hall of Fame worthy."

"I don't know if it was because I wasn't a first-round draft pick, I don't do some kind of dance when I make a 10-yard tackle, I don't go out and get arrested," Fletcher said. "I believe in playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. You line up each and every week, each and every play, and you go out and get the job done."

Fletcher is the leading tackler in the NFL this decade and has never missed a game in his 11-year career, even persevering through a severely sprained foot earlier this season. He is widely considered the MVP of the Redskins, the anchor to a defense ranked fourth in the league.

BILLS

EDWARDS TO START AT QB

Quarterback Trent Edwards is ready to make his first start in three weeks since being sidelined by a groin injury, and former starter J.P. Losman has likely taken his last snap for the Bills.

Edwards returned to practice yesterday and is expected to start at Denver on Sunday.

Losman, who's been relegated to third string behind Gibran Hamdan, has no plans to re-sign with Buffalo this offseason, and the demotion comes after his fumble was returned for a decisive touchdown in a 31-27 loss to the Jets last weekend.

GIANTS

RB JACOBS MIGHT PLAY

Brandon Jacobs practiced, an early sign the big halfback would be back in the lineup this weekend for the NFC showdown against the Panthers.

Jacobs missed the game against Dallas last weekend after aggravating his left knee in a game against the Eagles the week before.

"This game is very important," said Jacobs, who has rushed for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The winner will capture the NFC's No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

PANTHERS

KEMOEATU MAY NOT PLAY

A streak that has been one of the keys to the Carolina Panthers' success is in jeopardy ahead of their biggest game of the season Sunday at the New York Giants.

Defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu, a Kahuku High and University of Utah alum, missed practice yesterday with a sprained right ankle, making it possible a defensive starter will miss a game for the first time this season.

All 11 defenders have started all 14 games, but Kemoeatu was seen on crutches, wearing a protective boot on Monday.

"We've got guys on the team we feel good about that have played a lot of football all season long," coach John Fox said. "It's not like Maake or anybody out there plays every play. We've got guys out there that have made great contributions and we'll expect the same thing this week against New York."