The presence of Robert Griffin III on the football field, both as a passer and runner, is incredible.  We have seen countless articles sounding the view that RGIII is changing the NFL.  QB Tom Brady has even begun talking about RGIII in post game comments. 

“I don’t run too often so I’ve got to show them I can still do it a little bit,” Brady said. “All the people out there, the opposing defenses that say I can’t run, at least they saw. I’m not a big threat, I’m not RG3 or anything, but I can make a first down.”

Below is our week 14 evaluation of all the rookie quarterbacks starting in the NFL this season. Below that is how we have evaluated all the rookie quarterbacks over the course of the 2012 season. We have a surprise winner of the weekly award and the season-to-date order has been shuffled a bit for the first time in weeks. 

Week 12

Nick Foles -- It's fitting that Foles had his best day statistically on the day he finally won an NFL game as a starting QB. Foles was calm as he led a furious, literally last-second comeback, throwing two TD passes in the final four minutes, including the winner as time expired. Foles also ran for a TD and was his team's leading rusher in the game. And he did this against a Tampa Bay team in the thick of a playoff race, with plenty of incentive to win the game. A truly superb performance from Foles. 

Robert Griffin III -- It wasn't RG3's best day, but he still had the highest passer rating of any rookie QB this week, 102.4. That shows you how high the bar for success is set for RG3. He set it himself. Griffin was in the midst of leading a 4th quarter comeback when he sprained his right knee while being tackled after a run of 13 yards. Griffin threw a TD pass and, as usual, didn't turn the ball over. Having a quarterback who consistently makes plays and almost never commits a turnover is what has kept the Redskins in the playoff hunt despite having a mediocre defense and only one playmaking receiver, Pierre Garcon. It's unclear if Griffin will play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns and fellow rookie QB Brandon Weeden. If he does not, rookie backup Kirk Cousins, who came in in relief of RG3 and threw the game-tying touchdown, will start in his place. 

Ryan Lindley -- His statistics are not included because he did not start the game against the Seahawks, he entered the game late in relief of the horrid John Skelton. Lindley got sacked twice, didn't throw a TD or INT [that last bit is cause for celebration], and was completely ineffective in Arizona's 58-0 loss in Seattle. 

Andrew Luck -- Had the worst statistical performance of any of our rookie starters this week, but managed to come away with a win anyway because his defense scored a touchdown and the Titans mismanaged their offense in the 4th quarter by not knowing down and distance in the middle of a critical drive. He continues to turn the ball over too much [twice more on Sunday], but he and the Colts have feasted on a patsy schedule to the tune of 9 wins and an almost certain wild card berth in the playoffs. 

Ryan Tannehill --  That tough 49ers defense was too much for Tannehill, who performed respectably for a rookie, but really made almost no plays with his arm. The rook avoided turnovers, but his inability to complete passes downfield, a blame which must be shared equally with his receivers, doomed the Dolphins at home. Miami has now lost 5 of their last 6 and Tannehill needs to have a big game to stop the season from turning into a fiasco. 

Brandon Weeden -- Made no mistakes in helping his team win 30-7. The game was basically won by Cleveland's running game, a big punt return for a TD in the second quarter and the general ineptitude of their opponent, the KC Chiefs. Weeden continued his recent play of not doing anything special, but also not doing anything to hurt his team as they've won 3 games -- two against bad teams and once against the Steelers playing without Ben Roethlisberger. 

Russell Wilson -- Threw a TD and a pick in 13 passes, but otherwise did very little. He didn't need to. Their opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, were busy destroying themselves in the worst loss in franchise history -- which is really saying something. It says something about the Seahawks and the Cardinals that Seattle could ask so little of their quarterback and still win 58-0. 

Weekly Winner: Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles

(Photo: AP Photo)

2012 Season To Date

SEASON WINNER TO DATE: Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins

2. Russell Wilson [Seahawks]

3. Andrew Luck [Colts]

4. Brandon Weeden [Browns]

5. Ryan Tannehill [Dolphins]

6. Nick Foles [Eagles]

7. Ryan Lindley [Cardinals]

Meeting with the media today, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said injured starting QB Robert Griffin III suffered a "mild sprain to his LCL" when he was tackled violently by Baltimore Ravens NT Haloti Ngata late in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 31-28 overtime Redskins victory at FedEx Field. 

Shanahan said the ligament sprain is on the outside of the knee and is a "Grade 1" category of sprain, meaning there is no other structural damage to the knee. Griffin tore the ACL in that same right knee back in 2009k but made a complete recovery and the ACL was undamaged in yesterday's injury. 

Shanahan confirmed there is "mild swelling" of the right knee, but he refused to rule Griffin out of Sunday's game in Cleveland against the surging Browns [5-9], who have won three straight games. "When I looked at it on film I thought it would be worse than it was," Shanahan said of the knee injury. 

The head coach added the health of Griffin's right knee would be monitored "day-by-day." 

The Washington Redskins won their fourth consecutive game to post their first winning record this last in the season since 2008.  The 31-28 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens improved the Redskins to 7-6 on the season.  Here is what the national media pundits had to say about the big Redskins win. 

Clark Judge, Judgements, CBS Sports

It's OK to exhale, Washington. That MRI on RG3 told him what he already suspected -- that he doesn't have a torn knee ligament.

6. Now you know why the Redskins drafted two quarterbacks. Somehow, I can't envision Rex Grossman leading that last-minute comeback.

Weekly Grades, CBS Sports

Not a perfect game from Washington by any stretch, but having Kirk Cousins step in and be clutch as hell after Griffin's leg was whipped by Haloti Ngata was pretty huge. Washington's defense (you really can't stop Anquan Boldin) continues to have problems, but it created enough turnovers to squeak something out on Sunday.

John Clayton, The Last Call, ESPN

Robert Griffin III hurt his knee in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' 31-28 overtime victory against Baltimore. He tried to stay in the game, but finally, after hopping around, came to the sideline for treatment. Rookie Kirk Cousins delivered a touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon and a two-point conversion to tie the score and directed the game-winning field goal drive in overtime.

The Giants are 8-5 and the Redskins and Cowboys are 7-6. Next week, the Cowboys host the Steelers, the Redskins have a winnable game at Cleveland and the Giants have a tough one at Atlanta. One Giant stumble could cause a tie in the NFC East. As for RG3, he says his knee should be fine, but you have to wonder if it's a bone bruise or if there is ligament damage. If the Redskins have RG3, they have a chance at the division. It's fun to watch.

Studs and Duds, ESPN

Alfred Morris

Running back, Washington Redskins

The Redskins have won four straight, and Morris' tough running is among the chief reasons. Morris rushed for 122 yards and a score in Washington's 31-28 overtime victory over Baltimore.

Peter King, Monday Morning Quarterback, CNNSI

RGIII must be Elastic Man. Robert Griffin III's right knee whipped after being hit by a Ravens' defender in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field, and it hyperextended grotesquely. Remarkably, his MRI showed a knee sprain, which is a partial ligament tear, but not major damage. The Redskins know he can't expose himself to as many hits as he does at 218 pounds, but now's not the time for a lecture. If Washington's lucky, Griffin will miss Sunday's game in Cleveland and be back to face the Eagles and Cowboys to end the regular season.

Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

The Washington Redskins defeated the Baltimore Ravens 31-28 in overtime at FedEx Field yesterday. If you want to know how, why and what it means, READ THIS.

As you probably know by now, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III suffered a right knee injury during the game. Have a look at the play in which he was injured. Here is the latest news on Griffin's knee injury, which is being called a sprain. Here is more on RG3's MRI exam. Here is what RG3 had to say about the injury after the game.

Who stepped up for the Redskins yesterday and who did not? Find out by reading Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down.

In today's must-read, Dan Daly writes about how the Redskins rose "from the dead with a victory for the ages."

This was one of those “Where do you begin?” games. This was one of those games Washington Redskins fans might be re-living for decades, depending on how the season turns out. When the first names that roll off your tongue after a victory are Kirk Cousins and Richard Crawford, you know you’ve seen something special. And when it happens against the esteemed team just up I-95, the Baltimore Ravens, it only makes it better. ...

Rich Tandler points out that even though the 2-point conversion has been around in the NFL since 1994, the Redskins had never used one successfully to tie a game in the last two minutes of a game. Until yesterday, when Kirk Cousins tied the game at 28 to send it to overtime. 

Another strong game for another rookie, TB Alfred Morris: 

Alfred Morris had another strong game with 23 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. It was his third straight game over the 100-yard mark and his sixth of the season. He broke the Redskins record for rushing yards by a rookie last Monday night and he extended it today. The sixth-round pick now has 1228 rushing yards on the season.

However, Morris lost a fumble for the second straight game. And he's not happy about it: 

“That’s just unacceptable. I hold myself at a higher standard,” Morris said. “I definitely don’t use it for fuel. I’m just a hard runner. That’s what I am. I’m a workhorse. If anything, fumbling makes me mad and I learned a long time ago I can’t play angry. That’s just not the type of person I am. It only hurts me more.”

The Redskins have won four in a row for the first time since weeks 2-5 of 2008. If they can beat the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday it will be the team's first five-game winning streak since the last five weeks of the 2005 regular season, when Washington went from 5-6 to 10-6 and a wild card berth. 

John Keim writes Redskins players are impressed with rookie backup QB Kirk Cousins: 

"Cold as ice -- like they used to say about Larry Bird," Redskins receiver Joshua Morgan said of Cousins. "He was like nothing was going on. ... Once he hears the play call, he starts thinking like a mad scientist. [Receivers coach] Ike Hilliard said it best: He's like a human computer."

Rick Snider notices some old fashioned fan excitement over the Redskins these days: 

With four straight victories and three mediocre opponents remaining, fans are remembering 1982 to 1991, when the team seemed to own the late-season stretch.

Redskins team spokesman Tony Wyllie announced this evening that an MRI revealed QB Robert Griffin III has a knee "sprain" and did suffer a ligament tear in his right knee. [This is what the injury looked like when it happened.]

RG3 just tweeted: 

Your positive vibes and prayers worked people!!!! To God be the Glory!

Pro Football Talk followed up with this tweet: 

Per source, even though RG3 escaped serious injury his status for next week is unclear. More coming at PFT.

So, we will see what happens.

The Washington Redskins and rookie QB Robert Griffin III got some good news tonight.  The MRI on his knee came back negative, showing no signs of any tear or significant ligament damage. The Redskins are classifying the injury as a knee sprain.  Currently, there is no time table set on how long, if at all, Griffin will be out. 

IT WAS OVER WHEN... Redskins CB/PR Richard Crawford, rookie 7th round pick, caught the punt at his own 12 yard line, made the first man miss and then picked up several blockers, including new DB Jerome Murphy, who really helped turn Crawford loose. He cut toward the middle of the field, raced across the 50 yard line and stumbled at the 30-yard line of the Ravens. Crawford was pulled down at the Baltimore 24-yard line after a 64-yard punt return in overtime in the first game he's ever played in the NFL as a punt returner. Ravens safety Ed Reed jumped offsides on first down, giving the Skins five free  yards to the 19 yard line. The Redskins ran a few desultory plays before sending Kyle Forbath on from the 16-yard line to kick a field goal for the 14th time this year. Like the first 13 times, Forbath kicked the football straight and true to win the game from 34 yards away. It was Forbath's third field goal of the game, previously hitting kicks of 48 yards and 49 yards in the third quarter. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING... I just heard ESPN 980 radio's postgame host refer to Robert Griffin III's performance today as merely "good." His final stats were 15-26 for 246 yards and 1 TD and no turnovers and a passer rating of 102.4. For almost anyone else that's a fantastic performance. The bar has been raised so high on RG3, by virtue of his own play, that a passer rating of 102.4 is something of a disappointment... The Redskins have the league's #1 rushing attack, but they were outgained on the ground today 186-172. Washington won the game because of five rookies -- RG3, Kirk Cousins, Alfred Morris, Richard Crawford and Kai Forbath -- and the fact that they won the turnover battle 2-1... Pierre Garcon had another fine game, catching 5 passes for 84 yards [17.4] and the game-tying TD.

(Patrick Semansky | The Associated Press)

I LIKED THAT... Anyone still want to complain about the Skins using a fourth round pick on Kirk Cousins? The young man came on twice in the fourth quarter and helped finish the game with a beautiful TD pass to WR Pierre Garcon. Then he ran in the 2-point conversion. Cousins never had to do anything in overtime but hand the ball off to Alfred Morris because of the great punt return by Richard Crawford, but based on what we've seen so far, there is no reason to believe Cousins couldn't have led the offense down the field for the winning score, if he'd had to do it... Crawford was great on punt returns today, with returns of 16, 20 and 64 yards. That's 100 yards on 3 punt returns. Not too shabby... PK Kai Forbath is 14 for 14 and real money for the Skins. He's hitting pressure kicks and difficult kicks... I love all the young talent on this team. 

I DID NOT LIKE THAT...The Redskins gave up 186 rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry on the day... For the third straight week the Redskins defense only showed up for one half of football. Two weeks ago in Dallas, the defense was great in the first half, but non-existent in the second half. Last week against the Giants, the defense was nowhere to be found in the first half, but really showed up in the second half. Tonight, the defense was terrific again in the second half, but couldn't get out of its own way in the first half. The defense really needs to put up a complete game; it is putting too much pressure on the offense... Once again there were too many penalties -- 8 flags for 70 yards. The Redskins are the most-penalized team in the NFL and it is nothing to be proud of. The Skins are too undisciplined... CB DeAngelo Hall was terrible again, giving up two TD passes, numerous other completions and committed a stupid personal foul penalty for hitting a Ravens receiver well after the play was over... TE/KR Niles Paul dropped a pass and then fumbled a kickoff return with less than five minutes left in regulation, which the Redskins were fortunate did not cost them the game... Redskins wideouts and tight ends are committing too many penalties.

AND IT ALL MEANS... The Redskins are 7-6 and still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Cowboys went into Cincinnati and beat the Bengals 20-19 to improve to 7-6, tied with the Skins. The Giants are leading at halftime of their home game against the Saints, as I write this. The Vikings unexpectedly defeated the Bears today, which  puts the Vikings at 7-6, but the Skins have a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Vikings. The Bears now fall to 8-5, only one game ahead of the Redskins in the wild card battle. The Seahawks romped over the hapless Arizona Cardinals, improving their record to 8-5, one game ahead of the Skins. Washington's best bet remains winning the NFC East by continuing to win games, with RG3 at the helm or not, and hoping the Giants lose. In any case, the future looks bright for the Redskins because it was five rookies -- Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, TB Alfred Morris, PK Kai Forbath and CB/PR Richard Crawford -- who delivered the victory today. 

It looks awful, but initial reports are guardedly optimistic. We'll know a lot more tomorrow. 

In the meantime, here is the injury play again -- if you dare to look.

A little good news.  Robert Griffin III appeared at the podium for post game comments without the aid of crutches.  We will report more when we know more.  Here is what RG3 had to say.

"I was trying to make aplay.  It was just a freak play.  As soon as I turned inside, I was like, 'Oh Lord', here we go.  After I was getting down, my leg got hit.  I wanted them to know I wanted to go back in and I did.

After returning, I knew I needed to get out at that point, I couldn't move.  You have to do what is right for the team.  You have to trust the other guys. It was pretty painful experience, but prayerfully I'll be allright."

"I'm not a doctor but I know what an ACL tear feels like.  It doesn't feel like an ACL." 

I feel pretty good.  I''m not too nervous.  I'll be praying during the MRI.  An Xray was good. "

"I knew it hurt.  I screamed - like a man of course."

Discuss it in our INJURY THREAD