For too many years, the football slate was a disappointment. Detroit and Dallas were two franchises stuck in mediocrity, searching for a quarterback. There was no handpicked prime-time game to save the day.Those dark times are over. Thursday's trifecta might be the best-looking set yet, with two of the Manny Ramirez Jersey biggest games of the season in the NFC. Even the Detroit-Chicago opener including one team squarely in the playoff hunt and another team in a final "win or else" contest. , but for those not audio inclined ... here's what to watch for in all three games:We've talked before about 's attack as a . There's nobody better to put this theory to the test than . The former ' starter has been productive out of the gate, throwing for 300-plus yards in three straight starts for the first time in his career. After a pristine performance against the in , though, Sanchez has thrown three picks over the past two weeks and seen his pa ser rating dip with every outing. Still, after his last appearance on propelled the "Butt Fumble" into human consciousne s, the Sanchize is in a much better situation this time around.As we , the are no fluke. They've won games all year behind the best young O-line in the NFC. Running back on Thursday can tie Emmitt Smith's team record with his 11th 100-yard outing of the season. Murray is a legitimate MVP Andrew Miller Jersey candidate for a team running the ball with more frequency than all but two teams. It's on Philly -- whose 4,128 yards allowed this season are the second most in team history through 11 games -- to slow down this train.Let's not overstate it, but this game goes a long way . The can do themselves a huge favor by stealing this tilt before hosting the 'Boys again in two weeks. They'll play Seattle in between before closing the season against the and . After Thursday, Dallas has the , , and in a stretch run that will decide this thrilling decision.- Marc Se slerWatching the and play in San Francisco will be the perfect cap to a solid slate. Both teams are 7-4 and closing in Edwin Encarnacion Jersey on the , who had their six-game winning streak snapped . This division remains the anti-NFC South and will no doubt be explosive down the stretch. San Francisco is playing some of its best football of the season and continues to surprise us every week. Here's three things we're looking for:. is evolving in a very real and very entertaining way. There is no doubt that he is one of the five most enjoyable quarterbacks to watch every Sunday, and now he gets to match wits with one of the hottest defenses in football right now. Over the past two weeks, Wilson has an average pa ser rating of 107 and has completed almost 69 percent of his pa ses. He also has almost 150 rushing yards.Are we surprised that already has a pair of sacks and is knocking on the door of double-digit pre sures? He was destructive against the while knocking off some rust and was even better the week after against Washington. Now that the have rounded out their rotation and Smith is getting premiere snaps again, they are harder to defend than ever. The attempted to triple-team at one point. Will Seattle deem that nece sary? How will play (, don't you know)? It's the first of two matchups he has left against the ' quarterback, both of which will have tremendous playoff implications. Kaepernick has a lifetime pa ser rating of 53.4 against Seattle and an average yards per attempt below 6. Will he run more of the same looks, knowing that they've been succe sful in the past, or will he dial up some opportunities for to run wild? *- Conor Orr *Already completedIn many ways, is Jose Ramirez Jersey -- Stafford just has a few extra years left of preseason articles in which analysts expect big growth and a "breakthrough" before disappointment arrives in November. Stafford has enjoyed a flair for the dramatic, but this has been his worst season in many ways despite the team's record. He's erratic with his accuracy and decision-making. Coach has mostly reduced Stafford's wacky sidearm throws, but it hasn't translated into consistent play. He's just getting more support from his defense this year, and the addition of has saved the season. Stafford has struggled in his biggest games. Detroit is 3-10 in Stafford's nationally televised games, with Stafford to sing 19 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He should improve those stats on Thursday because Chicago's defense is among the league's worst. Linebacker is going to mi s the game, and cornerback is a game-time decision. Fuller has a chance to take on his brother Corey, who is a receiver for the . The mi s . and are playing at All-Pro levels, and is capable of taking over a game. But Detroit's defense Tyler Naquin Jersey hasn't been quite as dominant without Fairley, and this is a team you can throw on. The spread out Detroit to great succe s. Arizona hit a couple deep plays against them. Look for Cutler to go deep early and often, testing Detroit's secondary. Safeties and have formed a nice pair this year, but Detroit's cornerback depth is shaky. - Gregg RosenthalThe latest Around The NFL Podcast and recaps Monday night's Week 12 doubleheader. Find more Around The NFL content on .