As 2012 comes to a close, Athlon will count down the top individual performances in each major sport from the year, culminating with a full list of the top 50 performances of the year.

It is important to remember that for the NFL, 2012 started with the end of the 2011 regular season and the playoffs, in addition to the first 15 weeks of the current season. That’s why Tom Brady’s record-tying performance against Denver in last season’s AFC Divisional Round comes in at No. 1 on this list, even though the game was played back in January.

The Detroit Lions will try and play spoiler when they take on the Green Bay Packers tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. The Lions (4-8) are looking to end a four-game losing streak and do something they haven’t done in more than 20 years – win at Lambeau Field. The Packers (8-4) are aiming to stay atop the NFC North standings by beating the Lions for the second time in less than a month.

The Detroit Lions host their traditional Thanksgiving Day game today, as they will take on the Houston Texans at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The opener of the NFL’s turkey day triple-header features a Lions team that’s lost two in a row and is almost in a must-win situation if it wants to keep its playoff hopes alive. On the other side are the Texans, who enter this game with an AFC-best 9-1 mark and a three-game lead over the Colts for first place in the AFC South.

Two divisional foes with drastically different 2012 results will meet on Monday Night Football, when the Chicago Bears host the Detroit Lions at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. Lovie Smith’s Chicago crew has jumped out to a 4-1 start, outscoring its opponents by 78 points. Meanwhile, the last-place Lions are 2-3 and have looked nothing like the playoff team of a year ago.

The San Francisco 49ers dominating defense and methodical offense won for the second straight week, beating the Detroit Lions by the score of 27-19 in Candlestick Park. Jim Harbaugh’s club is looking like the early NFC favorite after defeating fellow NFC playoff clubs, the Packers and Lions, in their two victories.

Some of the national attention will be on the two coaches when the San Francisco 49ers host the Detroit Lions Sunday night at 8:20pm EST on NBC, but the real story is a solid NFC matchup between two postseason teams with high goals for this season.

As every fantasy football player knows there's a lot of risk that goes into drafting certain players. If the players make it on the field, your fantasy team will thrive. If they're hit with an injury, you're in trouble. Here's a look at 20 NFL players who offer varying degrees of risk with potentially big rewards.

RUN AWAY!
Stay away completely; you’re wasting a roster spot on a future disappointment.

Injuries are certainly a part of football, and fantasy football, for that matter, but when it comes to the latter that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't be prepared.

Here are the top injury concerns when it comes to quarterback. If you decide to draft one of these guys, be sure you add a capable backup at some point.

‘Tis the season for year-end awards in the NFL. This year, there are more players deserving of recognition than trophies to hand out. These are the select few Athlon Sports believes to be award-worthy: