ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Redskins are 1-5 this season and have lost 12 of their past 13 games going back more than 11 months. But it’s not just the number of losses that have characterized the franchise this millennium.

Washington’s current four-game skid is its ninth over the last 15 seasons — it has an almost unfathomable 22 strings of at least three straight defeats during that span. The Redskins even lost four in a row while making the playoffs in 2007 and three in a row while reaching postseason in 2005 and 2012.

In short, when the Redskins start losing, they often can’t stop.

“It’d be cool for me to say the sense of urgency is heightened, but that’s dumb,” said safety Ryan Clark, who started on the 2005 Redskins and returned this season after eight years in Pittsburgh. “If you don’t go out every week willing to give 100 percent of your mind and body to win a football game, if it takes losing to make you feel that way, you were a loser before you got out there. I’m preparing the same way, doing the things that I do every week to prepare to win, but we have to do ’em better because clearly we haven’t been good.”

Clearly. Not only has Washington lost nine straight on the road, it lost its last two at home heading into Sunday’s visit from Tennessee, its only game at FedExField in the span of five weeks and one of two in the span of eight weeks.

“I don’t think my approach to leadership or how I am going to lead is going to change whether we’re on a losing streak or a winning streak,” said quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has lost seven straight starts since winning his debut as a rookie in December 2012. “If I start to change who I am as a person, as a leader, based on conditions around me, that doesn’t make for a very good leader.”

All this losing is new to first-year coach Jay Gruden, who endured just one losing streak as long as three games during his three years in Cincinnati — a four-game slide in 2012 — as the Bengals made the playoffs each season.

“Every job is tough in the NFL,” said Gruden, who didn’t endure a skid longer than four straight defeats during his seven seasons (2002-08) as a Tampa Bay assistant either. “Nobody is going to walk into an office in the NFL and say, ‘Oh, this is easy.’ It’s not easy for the 5-1 teams. It’s not easy for the 1-5 teams (none of whom have ever rebounded to make the playoffs). … I have still faith in this team, this coaching staff that we will turn this thing around.”

In contrast, Washington’s archrival, Dallas, has endured only one such streak going back to late October 2004, a five-game skid that prompted owner Jerry Jones to make the only in-season coaching change in the Cowboys’ 55-year history.

SERIES HISTORY: 12th meeting. Titans lead series 6-5. The games haven’t been that memorable, but in 2002, it looked like the Redskins — incorrectly as it turned out — had found their long-term answer at quarterback in rookie Patrick Ramsey, who completed 20 of 34 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-14 victory at Tennessee in 2002.

MEDICAL WATCH: OT Trent Williams (knee), S Ryan Clark (ankle), CB Tracy Porter (hamstring) and ILB Akeem Jordan (knee) did not practice Wednesday. CB David Amerson (concussion) and ILB Perry Riley (knee) were limited.

GAME PLAN: After Alfred Morris, a star during his first two seasons, managed just 70 yards on 26 carries the past two weeks against the formidable run defenses of Seattle and Arizona, the Redskins really need to get their Pro Bowl running back going against Tennessee’s 24th-ranked run defense.

Kirk Cousins, who is one of the NFL’s lowest-rated quarterbacks on third downs and in the fourth quarter, needs to step up in those clutch situations after throwing seven interceptions compared to five touchdowns during Washington’s ongoing four-game losing streak. Receiver DeSean Jackson already has four catches of at least 50 yards from Cousins, three for touchdowns. Jackson’s 20.8 yards per catch tops the NFC. Tight end Jordan Reed returned last week from four-plus games on the shelf with eight catches for 92 yards.

The Redskins have allowed the NFL’s sixth-most points but have surrendered its ninth-fewest yards. There’s a similar disconnect for a pass rush which tied a franchise record with 10 sacks in Week 2 against Jacksonville but produced just five in the other five games combined. With Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall done for the year, the Redskins need David Amerson to recover from the concussion that sidelined him during the loss to the Cardinals because rookie Bashaud Breeland showed last week that he’s not ready to be a No. 1 corner and Tennessee’s Justin Hunter leads the league with 20.9 yards per catch.

While Ryan Kerrigan leads all linebacker with 6.5 sacks, Brian Orakpo has just half a sack after averaging 9.5 during his four full seasons. However, the Titans have given up just 15 sacks in six games.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Redskins LG Shawn Lauvao vs. Titans DE Jurrell Casey: Lauvao and Co. have lost four straight games and are 21st in scoring and 23rd in yards, but they’ve allowed just 11 sacks in 239 drop-backs. Casey plays inside in the Titans’ 3-4, but he has four sacks, twice as many as any teammate. No inside player has more sacks than Casey, whose 10.5 sacks in 2013 were just a half sack behind the high for an inside player set by Dallas’ Jason Hatcher, now with Washington.

Redskins ILB Keenan Robinson vs. Titans TE Delanie Walker: Walker leads the Titans with 29 catches, 421 yards and three touchdowns. His catches are the most for an AFC tight end while his receiving yards leads everyone at his position. With Perry Riley questionable after missing the Arizona game with a knee injury, first-year starter Robinson has more experience in coordinator Jim Haslett’s defense than any other Redskins inside linebacker.