Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Redskins are movin' on up to heights they have  never seen in The World's Most Prestigious Power Poll. We also have a roundup of where the Skins rank in the top 33 NFL power polls.

RG3 didn't play last Sunday so did he lose his top spot on the season rookie QB rankings to Russell Wilson? Find out by reading the latest edition of Tracking the Rookie Quarterbacks.

The Redskins can clinch a playoff spot this Sunday if they win and get some help. Here's how it happens. The New York Giants lose at Baltimore, the Chicago Bears lose at Arizona and Minnesota loses at Houston. I think the Vikings WILL lose in Houston and I think the Giants might lose in Baltimore. But the Bears lose in Arizona? I know the Bears are reeling, losers of five of their last six. And I know the Cardinals broke their 9-game losing streak last Sunday. But there is no way I can believe the Bears lose to the Cardinals. The Cardinals were practically invented to help struggling teams regain their confidence. 

Robert Griffin III missed last Sunday's game in Cleveland, though he insists he could have and wanted to play. Will he play in Philadelphia this weekend? We don't know  yet, though the first clues will come in today when Griffin practices with the team. How much he practices and how he looks will be our first hints about his availability this weekend. Some fans seem to be assuming Griffin will start, but Ed Werder of ESPN says he's talked to medical experts who say the injury Griffin suffered is a 3-week injury, at least.

The Redskins don't have a great offensive line, though LT Trent Williams and C Will Montgomery have both played at an All Pro level this year. What the Skins line has had is consistency, with the same five guys starting every game this year. That could end on Sunday in Philadelphia, with Montgomery struggling with a sprained knee and RT Tyler Polumbus trying to recover from a concussion. Jordan Black's suspension complicates a bad situation.

Mike Shanahan is now confident that his team has made real progress since he arrived in 2010. It blood well should have.

Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan explains how and why the Redskins read-option offense is working so well: 

TB Alfred Morris has set franchise rookie records with 1322 rushing yards and 9 TD. He's only 194 yards shy of the season rushing record of 1516 yards set by Clinton Portis back in 2005. Mike Shanahan deserves some of the credit for that.

“His blocking is scheme is perfect and ideally suited to run the ball effectively,” ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “It doesn’t matter who the running back is. The running backs historically in Shanahan’s offense, be it in Denver or in Washington, have been outstanding. That’s not to take away from the ability of these guys. They obviously have ability. But all these guys that weren’t highly regarded are putting up numbers.”

Portis seems fine with Morris breaking his record, if that happens: 

“I’m actually rooting for him,” Portis told Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier on 106.7 The Fan. “In my eyes, records are kind of meant to be broken. And just to even have the luxury of having it [was meaningful]. I think Alfred Morris is a class act, a young guy who came in and handled things properly and did it the right way. You never really hear him boast and brag about his accomplishments. And I think a lot of it is overshadowed by the great play of RGIII, but I think what they’re doing as complimentary players to one another is great for the city.”

Rich Tandler runs through some of the numbers on defense: 

Earlier this year the Redskins were on pace to give up more passing yards than any other team in NFL history by a wide margin. They are no longer threatening the record book but they still have their issues in pass defense.

Tandler also has some good stuff about how Pierre Garcon remains the favored wideout of Redskins quarterbacks, London Fletcher's play has improved recently and Rob Jackson has been making big plays at linebacker.

John Keim asks some good questions about Washington's upcoming game in Philly. Among other things, Keim wants to know if RG3 will play and what sort of shape will the offensive line be by Sunday?

Sally Jenkins writes that Mike Shanahan should be a candidate for coach of the year.

LG Kory Lichtensteiger won the Ed Block award.

RG3 has the fastest-selling jersey in NFL history.

Even the French press are covering Rob Parker's demented attack on RG3.

Here is our NFL power poll roundup for Week 15.  The Roundup includes 32 different power polls.  The ranking is for your Washington Redskins who sit atop the NFC East.  The Redskins have won five consecutive games since their dreadful 3-6 start to this season.   We also provide the change in each poll from the previous week.  As expected, most power polls now show the Redskins in the Top 10.   

The average mean Redskins ranking for Week 15 is 8.51. 

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Below is our week 15 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 15

Kirk Cousins -- The 4th rounder shined in his first NFL start, with the Skins scoring a season-high 28 points in the second half and trouncing Weeden and the Browns in Cleveland. Cousins overcame early struggles and a pick to absolutely demolish a decent Browns defense the rest of the game, expertly using an array of rollouts and bootlegs to baffle the opposition. He was tough against pressure and accurate on short passes and downfield. Cousins also displayed more quickness and athleticism than he has previously. 

Nick Foles -- He was under pressure constantly from Cincinnati's talented defensive line and it showed. Foles was antsy in the pocket, missed on some throws he should have nailed and was generally inaccurate. Didn't make a lot of big mistakes [his running back and special teams took care of that], but he didn't make any big plays for his team either. 

Robert Griffin III -- DNP - knee sprain

Ryan Lindley -- It wasn't a good game, but it was easily his best game and the Cardinals ended their nine game losing streak. Lindley took the caretaker role to new extremes, focusing almost exclusively on not making any mistakes. He still made a few, but not many and he was more accurate than in past games. At least he didn't look completely lost on the field. 

Andrew Luck -- Wasn't accurate against a suspect Houston pass defense, but he was under a lot of pressure because his offensive line could not handle JJ Watt and the Texans defensive line. Avoided turnovers for once and threw two TD passes -- both while being blitzed. Oddly, he was otherwise terrible against the blitz all day. 

Ryan Tannehill --  The best game of his pro career, though, admittedly, it came against a bad Jaguars team. Tannehill was accurate, made plays down field and ran well when required. He threw no picks, though he did lose a fumble. 

Brandon Weeden -- Took a step back on Sunday against a poor Redskins pass defense. Was not accurate, made only one big play, when the game was already out of reach, and threw numerous bad passes. Two of those bad passes landed in the hands of Redskins linebackers. Continued his bad habit of staring down receivers and telegraphing his intentions to defenders. 

Russell Wilson -- Another terrific game for the diminutive rookie, who ran like RG3 against a horrid Bill defense. Passed for one TD, rushed for 3 more and racked up over 90 yards with his legs. Did a nice job of getting the ball downfield and he hasn't fumbled in more than a month. 

Weekly Winner: Russell Wilson

(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. Ryan Tannehill [Dolphins]

5. Brandon Weeden [Browns]

6. Nick Foles [Eagles]

7. Ryan Lindley [Cardinals]

According to ESPN, Jersey #10, the Washington Redskins jersey of rookie QB Robert Griffin III, is the fastest selling jersey of all time for single season sales.

The NFL will not provide specific sales numbers but did say that Griffin moved into the top spot by overtaking Brett Favre, who previously held the record for most jerseys sold in a year twice -- with the New York Jets in 2008 and the Minnesota Vikings in 2009.

What makes Griffin's accomplishment even more impressive is that the NFL's fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31, meaning that he has the league's highest-selling jersey with 3½ months to spare.

Moore rookie records from the wonder kid from Texas.  Griffin's status for this week's game against division rival Philadelphia is still uncertain.  Griffin missed the win last week against Cleveland and suffering an MCL sprain against Baltimore. 

It's the best part of your week -- the return of The World's Most Prestigious Power Poll! With with only two games left in the regular season and the playoff picture still up in the air, who can explain what's going on to the huddled masses yearning for comprehension? Only The World's Most Prestigious Power Poll. Read and be enlightened...

AP Photo - Patrick Semansky

01. Denver Broncos [11-3]: Have not lost since the first week of October and with the Browns & Chiefs left on the schedule, should waltz into the playoffs with 13 wins and a first round bye. [+1]

02. San Francisco 49ers [10-3-1]: Proved they are contenders by slaying the dragon in the dragon's lair. [+2]

03. New England Patriots [11-3]: NFL's best on offense, but defense is up and down & that's why they're vulnerable in the playoffs. [-2]

04. Houston Texans [12-2]: Pass defense is suspect, but that won't be a problem against the Vikings this Sunday. [NC]

05. Atlanta Falcons [12-2]: Chose a good time to prove they've got guts. [NC]

06. Green Bay Packers [10-4]: Have won 8 of last 9 and own the North again. [+2]

07. Seattle Seahawks [9-5]: Destroyed the patsies with panache, but can they handle the Niners coming to town? [+1]

08. Washington Redskins [8-6]: More to these guys than RG3. [+1]

09. New York Giants [8-6]: Let the division get away from them, but can save their season by coming out of Baltimore with a win. [-3]

10. Dallas Cowboys [8-6]: Winners of 4 of their last 5, but now must face a Saints team capable of winning in Dallas. [+3]

AP Photo/Mike Groll

11. Cincinnati Bengals [8-6]: Finish season with diminished Steelers & reeling Ravens. If ever there was a chance to seize the AFC North, this is it. Are they finally tough enough to do it? [+4]

12. Baltimore Ravens [9-5]: Will have to save their season against the Giants and Bengals. [-2]

13. Chicago Bears [8-6]: Lost 5 of last 6 but finish with games againt pitiful Cardinals and Lions. [-2]

14. Pittsburgh Steelers [7-7]: Can they halt their slide to mediocrity with a win at home against the Bengals? [-2]

15. New Orleans Saints [6-8]: Maddeningly inconsistent, but still dangerous enough to beat almost anyone. [+2] 

16. Indianapolis Colts [9-5]: Couldn't handle a good Texans team, but they get another patsy, the Chiefs, next. [-2]

17. Minnesota Vikings [8-6]: Can Adrian Peterson literally run this team to the playoffs? He'll have to. [+4]

18. St. Louis Rams [6-7-1]: Giants in the NFC West. Pipsqueaks everywhere else. [NC]

19. Miami Dolphins [6-8]: Seeing real potential in rookie QB Ryan Tannehill. [+3]

20. Carolina Panthers [5-9]: Showing signs of improvement, but too late to matter this year. [+3]

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America)

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [6-8]: Free fall reached a new low with 41-0 loss to the Saints. [-5]

22. Cleveland Browns [5-9]: Could have had a better QB & RB in the 4th & 6th rounds and spent those 1st rounders on something better. [-3]

23. San Diego Chargers [5-9]: Hardly anyone showed up to see the Chargers clinch first losing record since 2003. [-3]

24. Tennessee Titans [5-9]: Need to schedule the Jets more often. [+4]

25. New York Jets [6-8]: Keep the coach, ditch the QB. [NC]

26. Buffalo Bills [5-9]: Ditch the coach & the QB. [NC]

27. Philadelphia Eagles [4-10]: Can salvage something by playing spoiler to the Skins & Giants. [NC]

28. Arizona Cardinals [5-9]: Gotta love playin' those Lions! [+4]

29. Detroit Lions [4-10]: Can't blame this mess on Matt Millen anymore. [-5]

30. Oakland Raiders [4-10]: Offensive MVP is the kicker. Again. [NC]

31. Jacksonville Jaguars [2-12]: Didn't turn the ball over and still lost by 3 TD to the Dolphins. [-2]

32. Kansas City Chiefs [2-12]: Wondering if you're a terrible football team? Getting shut out by the Raiders is a pretty good clue. [-1]

Washington Redskins tackle Jordan Black has been suspended four games for testing positive for a banned performance enhancing drug [PED]. The punishment begins immediately, so Black will miss the final two games of the regular season and, depending on whether or not the Redskins advance to the first and/or second rounds of the playoffs, could end in January 2013 or extend into the 2013 regular season. 

Black joins fellow Redskin CB Cedric Griffin on the banned list for PEDs. Before the regular season began FS Tanard Jackson was banned for the year for illegal drug use, while OT Trent Williams and TE Fred Davis were both suspended for the final four games last year, also for illegal drug use. I'm not sure what's going on with the Redskins, but clearly the team has problems with substance abuse. 

Black's loss is a problem because he played yesterday after RT Tyler Polumbus went out with a concussion. Polumbus now comes under the concussion protocols and it isn't clear when he will play again. Expect the Redskins to activate rookie tackle Tom Compton from the practice squad and possibly hit up the waiver wire for some help as quickly as possible. 

"As soon as you start winning everything feels more realistic." -- Redskins WR Pierre Garcon

The Washington Redskins went into Cleveland yesterday and crushed the Browns 38-17. Who was the Redskins Player of the Week? Vote now in our poll in the upper right sidebar. 

For more on the latest Redskins win, get the who, the how, the why and what it all means in The Fifth Quarter.

Get the latest updates on the Redskins injury situation. I'm particularly concerned about C Will Montgomery, who is having a terrific season. We will have more on the injury situation as the news comes in today.

What did the NFL pundits have to say about Washington's win over the Browns? Find out in our Monday Morning Pundit Report.

As a result of Washington's win in Cleveland, the Cowboys win over Pittsburgh and the Giants loss in Atlanta, the Redskins are in control of their own destiny for the first time since 1999.

Don't be shocked if that week 17 game against the Cowboys gets flexed out of Sunday at 1 PM to Sunday at 8.30 PM.

Who gets cheers and who gets jeers for their performances against the Browns? Check it out in Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down.

The Redskins scored 38 points -- tied for second-most on the season -- and threw for 329 yards -- highest on the season -- because rookie QB Kirk Cousins spread the ball around in his first NFL start. 

Redskins DE Stephen Bowen sums up the playoff situation in one line.

USA Today sports

With a sack, an interception, a tackle for loss and two passes knocked down, OLB Rob Jackson did it all last night for the Skins.

Rick Snider writes Kirk Cousins has proven he's a good backup plan for the Redskins. Former Redskins GM Charley Casserly thinks the Redskins can get at least a second round pick for Cousins right now. Maybe more.

“I’ll tell you what, you’ve got a minimum of a second-round pick on the table, I think,” Casserly said Sunday evening. “I think if you can work it — and Bruce Allen’s a terrific trader — if you can work it, you might be able to pull two No. 2s out of this thing.

I have the latest on the legal and medical situation of London Fletcher's relatives. Check it out.

This probably won't make Donovan McNabb happy, but offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is getting some head coach chatter: 

“If Kyle Shanahan delivers a win with a backup quarterback – a backup rookie quarterback – he shows the rest of the NFL he is ready to be a head coach and take the next step,” the NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi said during Sunday’s pre-game show. “What he has done with Robert Griffin III is remarkable, but we knew Griffin had talent. If he does it with Cousins, then all of a sudden all those teams who will be looking for a head coach soon are going to take notice.”

Dan Daly writes that Washington's 5-game winning streak is amazing and hard to understand: 

Stranger still, the Redskins are doing it in a way no NFL club has ever done it. “They don’t expect rookie quarterbacks to win in this league,” Garcon said, “but we’re doing it.” They did it for 13 games with first-round-pick Robert Griffin III, who sat out the Cleveland game — restlessly — with a sprained right knee; and they did it Sunday with fourth-round-pick Cousins, who didn’t know for sure he’d be starting until the quarterbacks meeting the night before.

For the first time since 1999, the Washington Redskins sit atop the NFC East in December.  They did it by grabbing a huge 38-21 win on the raod with a fourth round rookie quarterback making his first NFL start.  Kirk Cousins delivered two TD passes and threw for 329 yards to lead the Redskins to their fifth consecutive win and improve to 8-6.  So what do the Monday morning media pundits have to say?  We will show you.

John Clayton, Last Call, ESPN

The Redskins have turned around a 3-6 start and now stake claim to the NFC East lead after their 38-21 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys gutted out an overtime victory over the Steelers to create the three-way tie with the Redskins and Giants. This is the first time since 1999 that the Redskins are in first place this late in the season.

The Redskins play at Philadelphia and host Dallas in the final two weeks. The Cowboys host New Orleans next week and finish in Washington. The Giants play at Baltimore next week and host Philadelphia in the final week. The biggest surprise has been the Giants, who fell to third place in the tiebreaker because of a 2-3 record in NFC East games. The Redskins have the tiebreaker because of a 3-1 divisional record.

"We didn't play well, we didn't stop the run, we didn't do anything consistently on offense," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.

Dan Graziano, NFL East Blog, ESPN

There was a lot driving the Redskins on this day. The announcement Saturday night that Cousins was getting his first career start because Griffin's knee hadn't healed enough to let him play made everybody sit up and take notice. Cofield said the defense used that announcement as a "rallying cry," convincing itself it had to play its best game of the season in case the backup quarterback couldn't deliver the same kind of offensive performance the starter's been delivering all year.

And while this was all happening, while the Redskins were handling the part of the playoff-fate equation that was in their hands, they knew what was going on in Atlanta. By the time their game ended, the Giants' game had already gone final, and the Redskins left the field aware that they were in first place. They need only a win next week in Philadelphia and then at home against Dallas the following week to call themselves NFC East champions. Won't be easy, but knowing it's possible has been the fuel for the winning streak that has them, finally, where they want to be.

Hungry is exactly the way these Redskins have begun to look at the most critical time of the year. The hunger with which they're playing is the reason it's all in their hands now.

Clark Judge, Judgements, CBS Sports

I'll tell you what that Washington victory tells me: That Cleveland chose the wrong quarterback, that's what. The Browns should've taken Kirk Cousins, not Brandon Weeden.

Vinny Iyer, Checkdown, Sporting News

The NFC East is a three-team race with two games remaining in the regular season. With the New York Giants getting shut down, 34-0, in Atlanta on Sunday, the door opened for both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys—and they walked right through to pull even with New York at 8-6.

Based on having the best division record (3-1), the Redskins are the new first-place team and control their destiny. Rookie backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, subbing for Robert Griffin III, led them to an impressive 38-21 road rout of Cleveland. The Cowboys (3-2 in the NFC East) were able to keep pace by fighting hard to outlast Pittsburgh at home, 27-24, in overtime.

What We Learned, Week 15, Fox Sports

Now, there's an understatement. First, Washington trades up to nab franchise-transforming quarterback Robert Griffin III. Then it uses a fourth-round pick to add a quality backup for RG3 in Kirk Cousins, who is a sparkling 1-0 as a starter after directing the Redskins' 38-21 victory at Cleveland on Sunday in Griffin's absence. But how about sixth-rounder Alfred Morris (pictured)? The running back had 87 yards rushing and two touchdowns to support Cousins, upping his season total to 1,322 yards rushing. He's 194 yards away from the storied franchise's single-season rushing record, held by Clinton Portis. No coincidence the Redskins have ascended to the top of the NFL East with that kind of drafting.

Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com

The Redskins currently are in first place. They'll claim the division title if they win out against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cowboys the next two weeks. With just four conference losses so far, the Redskins also stand a better chance than most of lucking into a wild-card spot even if they finish 9-7.

and Around the League,

4. The Redskins don't even need Robert Griffin III to get healthy in time for next week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kirk Cousins has it covered. Let's just get RG3 back for the regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.

Michael Smith, Pro Football Talk

UPDATE: London Fletcher was just on the NFL Network and confirmed that his relatives were involved in a physical altercation at the game yesterday. He said his relatives were harassed by Browns fans all day, but he blamed stadium security for the arrests. Fletcher said security was belligerent with his family and that led to the arrests. 

Fletcher said his aunt was hospitalized for "neck injuries" and said she "did not suffer a heart attack." He confirmed she has been released from the hospital. 

Fletcher hinted he and his family may pursue legal remedies against stadium security and said his family members that were arrested are still in custody and have not yet been formally charged. 

Redskins ILB London Fletcher is from the Cleveland area and he had plenty of family and friends in the stands yesterday to cheer him on. Unfortunately, people in the stands lost their temper, forgot that this was just a football game and some very bad things happened. 

The veteran linebacker's family was involved in an altercation with Browns fans after the game and his aunt suffered a heart attack, NewsChannel5 in Cleveland reports.

Police used Tasers in the incident and three of Fletcher's family members were arrested.

Fletcher's aunt, 57-year-old Evette Robinson, was rushed to MetroHealth Medical Center, Nita Ashford, a Cleveland school teacher and relative of Fletcher, told NewsChannel5.

Robinson's condition is unknown at this time.

All of us at DC Pro Sports Report hope Ms Robinson makes a complete recovery.

Below is video of the altercation. 

Which Redskins player earned Player of the Week honors after Washington 38-21 win over the Cleveland Browns. VOTE IN OUR POLL on the upper right sidebar. 

PIERRE GARCON: 12 passes, 6 catches, 65 yards, 10.8 yards per catch

KIRK COUSINS: 26-37, 329 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 104.4 passer rating, 22 rushing yards

ROB  JACKSON: 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 passes defensed, 1 sack, 1 INT

LEONARD HANKERSON: 3 passes, 2 catches, 56 yards, 2 TD