ASHBURN, Va.— Jim Zorn began talking about the good things he saw in the Washington Redskins preseason opener when he interrupted his own train of thought. Out came four simple words.

“We scored zero points,” said the coach, carefully enunciating each syllable.
Preseason scores — especially from the first week of games — usually don’t mean much, so there’s only so much that can be gleamed from Thursday night’s 23-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Still, the outcome was so one-sided that Zorn can’t help but wonder if the younger players who received the bulk of the playing time were properly prepared.
“They didn’t realize how difficult the game really is,” Zorn said Friday. “It’s not just like it was before. It is intense, exact, and it is passionate and emotional. ... You could see hesitation. You could see us playing soft.”
The defense allowed 500 yards. The offense made it past the 50-yard line only three times — and turned the ball over two of those times. There’s supposed to be a preseason battle between two kickers, but neither had a chance to attempt even one field goal.
It’s not the best thing for morale.
“No matter if it’s preseason or regular season, you want to score points,” quarterback Jason Campbell said, “at least compete and compete at a high level.”
Yet it is preseason, so there is much to put into perspective. The Redskins rested healthy starters Albert Haynesworth and Clinton Portis, while Santana Moss (hamstring), Randy Thomas (knee) and Carlos Rogers (calf) were nursing injuries.
The first-team offensive line — the biggest question mark entering the game — held its own, although the starting five was in the game for only 10 plays. Campbell (3-for-6, 38 yards) wasn’t around long enough to establish any kind of rhythm. Young receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas combined to catch four passes. Defensive rookies Brian Orakpo and Jeremy Jarmon continue to look impressive. The first-team defense played just one series, allowing a long drive that ended in a field goal.
“This is just a glorified practice for us,” cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. “But we didn’t make plays when we needed to.”
On the negative side, second-year tight end Fred Davis fumbled twice. Tackle Mike Williams’ attempt at an NFL comeback suffered a setback when he aggravated an abdominal strain. Defensive lineman Lorenzo Alexander pulled an oblique muscle. Second-year cornerback Justin Tryon struggled trying to play slot receivers — a task the Redskins hoped he could handle. Even third-string quarterback Colt Brennan, the preseason sensation of a year ago, proved himself to be a mere mortal by throwing an interception.
“It’s not scoring points, not sustaining drives. It’s irritating,” Zorn said. “And I’ve got to call a better game, and I’ve got to put our guys into position to score.”
Many of the young reserves who struggled won’t make the final roster, but others will be needed to provide depth during the regular season. Zorn hopes to see more from them when the Redskins host the Pittsburgh Steelers next week.
“It was a different test for some of these guys. Some failed, some came through in flying colors, and some now need to rise up,” Zorn said. “The backups need to be better.”