Well, that didn't last long. [Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast/AP]

The 2012 season of Redskins SS Brandon Meriweather -- all 2+ quarters of it -- is over. Meriweather suffered repeated injuries to his left knee this season, which delayed his debut until yesterday, the tenth game of the season. Early in the third quarter Meriweather appeared to injure his right knee with no contact, collapsing to the ground. He later jogged on the sidelines and seemed to indicate the injury was not too serious. He was wrong.

Meriweather ruptured the ACL in his right knee, ending his 2012 season almost before it began. 

The strong safety played well in his Redskins debut, intercepting a pass in the first quarter and adding 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and two passes defensed for good measure. A solid day's work in just over half a game, but it is all the Skins will get out of Meriweather this year.

The Redskins will go back to SS Reed Doughty as the starter, I presume. 

Meriweather is in the first year of a two-year, $6 million contract he signed back in March. 

Below is our week 11 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. 

Week 11

Not a close competition this week, as Robert Griffin III had a perfect passer rating, completing over 93 percent of his passes, throwing four TD passes, rushing for 84 yards and never turning the ball over. Essentially, he was Washington's offense in their 31-6 blowout of division rival Philadelphia. No other rookie QB playing this past week came close to that performance, arguably the best of RG3's young career. 

Andrew Luck did some good things against the Patriots, but he also helped the competition with four turnovers, including three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. In other words, he threw as many TD passes to the Patriots as he did to the Colts. And that's how you give up 59 points. After a couple of weeks where it looked like he  might take over this competition, Luck took a step back on Sunday. 

Ryan Tannehill struggled against a truly awful Buffalo Bills defense. [The Eagles and Patriots don't play great defense either, but the Bills are absolutely horrid at everything to do with stopping NFL offenses. Probably wouldn't be good at stopping college or high school offenses either.] Tannehill was having a very good October, but the wheels have come off the last two weeks, as he's thrown 1 TD and 5 picks in that time. 

Brandon Weeden played pretty well in Little D against the Cowboys, throwing two TD passes and turning the ball over only once, on a fumble. The Browns blew a 13-point halftime lead to lose in overtime, but at least Weeden showed some progress. After not throwing a TD pass in three straight games and looking quite horrible during that time, the 29-year-old rookie showed he hasn't hit the rookie wall yet. 

Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks enjoyed a bye week. 

Weekly Winner: Robert Griffin III [Redskins]

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]

New team captain, rookie QB Robert Griffin III, acted very much like a team captain and more.  In fact, with a passer rating of 158.3, Griffin was nearly perfect.  He threw one completion all day, completing 14 of 15 attempts, had an impressive 13.3 yards per attempt, and added four TD tosses to a great day.  On top of all that, Griffin rushed for 84 yards.  Griffin's effort were rewarded by a Redskins defense that did not allow a single Philly TD.  As RGIII stated, the Redskins are not out of the playoff hunt, but probably need to win out.  A 31-6 thrashing of the Eagles at home is a damn good way to start.  Let's see whatthe media pundits have to say on the Monday after. 

ESPN, Last Call, John Clayton

As if Eagles coach Andy Reid didn't have enough problems, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan taught him the proper way to use a rookie quarterback. Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan, Mike's son and the Redskins' offensive coordinator, understand one of the keys to having rookie quarterbacks succeed is to minimize the number of throws in a game. The more a rookie quarterback throws, the greater chance he has of losing. The 2012 class of rookie quarterbacks is 5-21 in games in which they attempt 31 or more passes.

CBS Sports, Judgements, Clark Judge

RG3 vs. Philadelphia. Not only did he produce a perfect passer rating (158.3); he missed only one of 15 passes for a 93.3 completion percentage and had four touchdowns. It was the best percentage for a quarterback with four TDs since Steve Young did it in 1994.

CNNSI, Monday Morning Quarterback, Peter King

Robert Griffin III just had a game for the ages. Anyone notice?

Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington. The best game of a precocious rookie season: 14 of 15, 200 yards passing, four touchdowns, no picks; 12 rushes, 84 yards, in the 31-6 rout of the Eagles. I talked to a long-time NFC East executive Sunday night, and he said: "I am not happy this guy's in our division for the next 15 years. In fact, I'm pissed." And this from Santana Moss, who made one of the touchdown catches, a spectacular one: "Robert's going to go out there and keep being special. He ignites our fire.''

CNNSI, Don Banks, Snap Judgements

Robert Griffin III could play another 15 years in the NFL and never have a crisper game than the one he turned in against Philadelphia. Griffin had just one pass hit the ground, going 14 of 15 for 200 yards, with four touchdowns -- nicely spacing them one in each quarter.  I think it's safe to say Griffin came out of Washington's bye week refreshed and ready to go. No sign of hitting the dreaded rookie wall just yet.

THUMBS UP

ROBERT GRIFFIN III -- It's an obvious choice, but no less deserved for that fact. Griffin was almost flawless today, completing 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards [13.3 yards per attempt], with 4 TD, zero turnovers and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Griffin also ran for 84 yards, with several runs coming on amazing scrambles that left multiple Eagles defenders grasping at air and the young signal-caller slipped loped away for a big first down. At times it seemed as if the only thing working properly on the offense today was RG3, which seems strange to consider since the team scored 31 points, but anyone who saw the game would realize the truth. The offensive line and even tailback Alfred Morris committed multiple motion penalties and once in the third quarter the Redskins had to take a timeout because nobody could figure out which personnel was supposed to be on the field. It was a real mess. RG3 bailed the Skins out on that drive by running for a first down on a third down scramble and then launching a 61-yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss, who beat two larger defenders to catch the ball. That drive was a metaphor for the offense today -- mistake-filled and often ugly, but ultimately successful because of the athleticism and skill of the rookie quarterback. When a desperate Redskins team need him the most, RG3 delivered with perhaps the best game of his young NFL career. 

PERRY RILEY -- Few have noticed that ILB Perry Riley has been the team's best linebacker this season and maybe the team's best defensive player. Riley had six tackles today, including three tackles for loss. He also had a beautiful sack on a great stunt blitz call by Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett, who sent the inside 'backer out wide to rush the passer. Riley also had two QB hits and knocked down a pass. The only blemish on an otherwise nearly-perfect performance was the roughing the passer penalty Riley drew in the fourth quarter. It wasn't an egregious foul by Riley, though, so I don't hold it against him too much. 

Honorable Mention: FB Darrel Young continues to be a quietly fantastic player. He touched the ball only once today, but made it count by slipping out into the flat for an easy 6-yard TD reception on Washington's second offensive play from scrimmage. The score gave Washington a lead it never gave up. Apart from that, Young just continued to be a fantastic blocker, both for Alfred Morris and RG3. You can see why Young is a favorite of the Shanahans -- he does what he is supposed to do and he almost always does it very well. 

THUMBS DOWN

PENALTIES -- Only one thumbs down today on an otherwise terrific performance by the Redskins today, but it is a big one. Washington committed 13 penalties for almost 100 yards two weeks ago, in their loss to the Panthers, just before the bye week. Today demonstrated the Redskins have done nothing to fix this glaring problem. The offensive line and tailback had constant problems with motion penalties and those were particularly frustrating because they are so preventable. The Redskins are the most penalized team in the NFL this year and the embattled coaching staff bears responsibility for this travesty. Is anyone being held responsible for these mistakes? Are punishments being handed out? Why do the same players -- I'm looking at you, LG Kory Lichtensteiger -- continue to make the same mistakes and there appears to be no consequences for this incompetence. Washington had 25 penalties for about 170 yards in their last two games. That's completely unacceptable. I know it. You know it. But do the players know it? If not, why not. If so, why does it keep happening. 

IT WAS OVER WHEN... Redskins QB Robert Griffin III dropped back to pass and, as the pocket closed around him, he calmly fired a frozen rope of a pass to the outside shoulder of TE Logan Paulsen, who hauled the ball in and twisted in the defender's arms into the end zone. The extra point put the Redskins up 31-6 with 10:35 left in the game. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING... Both rookie quarterbacks today threw for about 200 yards [200 for RG3, 204 for Nick Foles], but Robert Griffin III was far more efficient in doing so. Foles completed 21 of 46 passes [46%], threw two interceptions and averaged a mere 4.4 yards per pass for a passer rating of 40.5. RG3 threw only 15 passes, completed 14 of them, 4 for touchdowns and averaged 13.3 yards per pass for a perfect passer rating of 158.3. In addition to having almost literally a perfect passing day, RG3 also ran the ball 12 times for 84 yards [7.0 per carry], which includes a kneel-down at the end of regulation. 

Griffin completed 14 passes to nine different receivers and no receiver had more than three catches. All four touchdown passes were thrown to receivers who did not catch another pass all day. RG3 has no  go-to receiver because with TE Fred Davis lost for the season, no receiver on the team is good enough to merit that status. Understanding this, RG3 spreads the ball around, looking not for a reliable receiver, but just for anyone who might get open on the play. I believe this is improving Griffin's decision-making ability and should serve him well in coming seasons.

I LIKED THAT... The much-and-correctly-maligned defense did not give up a touchdown today. True, they were facing a rookie quarterback in his first start, but the Redskins defense has failed eight straight games against rookie signal-callers. Not today. The defense tackled well, adjusted to Philly's early success with the screen pass and did not allow dangerous deep wideouts Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to do what they've often done against the Redskins -- get open deep for big plays in the passing game. 

The Redskins defense was hitting hard today, particularly SS Brandon Meriweather, ILB Perry Riley and F/SS DeJon Gomes. Meriweather had a very strong game before injuring his right knee to continue his cursed 2012 season. Riley, who has been Washington's best linebacker this year, had six tackles, a sack a pass defensed and three tackles for loss. If he hadn't gotten flagged for roughing the passer, Riley might have had a perfect game, too. 

RG3 was virtually perfect today. When the Skins needed him the most, Griffin may have played the best game of his young career. Not only was he mostly careful with the ball and making big plays in the passing game -- he threw a 49-yard TD pass to WR Aldrick Robinson and a 61-yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss -- Griffin repeatedly bailed out Washington's offense with his feet, rushing for 84 yards, including some big first downs. 

I DID NOT LIKE THAT... The Skins continue to be a mistake-prone team, both on offense and defense. They avoided the turnovers this week, which is good, but again they committed one stupid, careless penalty after another. Two weeks ago, in their last game before the bye, the Redskins committed 13 penalties for almost 100 yards against the Panthers, including two that negated touchdowns. Today, the Redskins committed 12 penalties for 75 yards, with the most egregious being the persistent motion penalties on the offensive line and TB Alfred Morris, who committed two by himself. The Redskins are a sloppy, mistake-prone, careless and undisciplined team and I wonder where the accountability is for all this. Is anyone being punished for all this? The Redskins are the most penalized team in the NFL and that is a terrible reflection upon the coaching staff.

 The Redskins had two chances to get 12 inches and failed both times, turning the ball over on downs at the Eagles' 20-yard line. The first play was a QB sneak that gained nothing and the second was a handoff to TB Alfred Morris that lost a couple of feet due to a complete collapse of the right side of the offensive line. The next time someone tells you the Redskins' offensive line has really played well this year, remember those two plays, when Washington could not get a foot on two chances. 

AND IT ALL MEANS... Eagles head coach Andy Reid feels a lot more heat than Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan -- at least for this week. The Redskins had lost the last three coming into today and the last two games looked very bad. The Redskins had lost eight straight games to rookie quarterbacks and Mike Shanahan had not won with the Redskins after a bye week. All those negative streaks ended. Meanwhile, the Redskins got to bury the Eagles, who lost their sixth straight game and sink to 3-7. 

The Redskins have six games left and four of them are against NFC East opponents. They will have a chance to make something of their season if they play well enough -- and that effort continues in four days on Thanksgiving in Dallas against the hated Cowboys. Washington's playoff hopes are laughably slim, but the notion that the Redskins have nothing to play for but talent evaluation -- an opinion impolitically offered by Mike Shanahan two weeks ago after the loss to Carolina -- is dead for now. The Redskins have something to play for in 2012 and it isn't pride or the future. Games still matter for the Redskins. That's the good news. 

The other good news: RG3 just gets better and better. If Washington can't build a championship team around this young man and his enormous talent, then... I don't know how to finish that sentence. Griffin has champion written all over him. Now he needs a team around him. 

It was a great opportunity for Washington to pickup their first win of the season, but Utah handed the Wizards their eighth loss of the 2012-'13 campaign by a 83-76 count.

The Jazz were playing back to back nights, but used 21 points from center Al Jefferson to hold on for the win. The Wizards continue to play without injured stars John Wall and Nene.

"That's not an excuse," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "We've got enough here to win games, and we do -- and we've got to believe that. I've got to help them believe in themselves right now. We're low on confidence right now from an offensive standpoint."

Jordan Crawford led the Wizards with 20 points while Trevor Ariza was the only other in double figures with 16.

Fans seem more interested in a promotion late in the game and were rewarded with free sandwiches from Chick Fil-A.

The Wizards return to action tomorrow night against the Indiana Pacers at the Verizon Center.

Here are your Redskins inactives against the Eagles.  WR Pierre Garçon and S Brandon Meriweather are not among them.  It has been confirmed that both players will indeed start today.  For Meriweather, he will be making his Redskins debut.

QB Rex Grossman

WR Dez BRiscoe

LB Mario Addison 

CB Richard Crawford

OG Maurice Hurt

OG Adam Gettis

DT Doug Worthington

Adam Schefter of ESPN  just announced on the air that both WR Pierre Garcon and SS Brandon Meriweather are both expected to play today when the Redskins host the Philadelphia Eagles. Schefter said it isn't clear how much Garcon will actually play and I expect very little from him due to chronic foot pain that could very easily cut his once-promising career very short. Hopefully, I'm wrong about that. 

WHO: Philadelphia Eagles [3-6] at Washington Redskins [3-6]
WHAT: Week 11 of the 2012 NFL season
WHEN: Sunday, 18 November 2012 at 1 PM
WHERE: FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland
WHY: It's football and football is good.

WATCH: FOX TV or Livestream on NFL Sunday Ticket

LISTEN: SIRIUS 85

SPREAD: Washington -1.5

OVER/UNDER: 46