The Absolutely Worst of the NFL, Week 17 Edition

There's nothing like a grand finale. Whether it's the sky-melting last thirty seconds of a fireworks show or a smartphone-waving rock show encore, a stirring finish can make even a mediocre event live forever in our memories.

Of course, a dud shell, a sour note or snore-inducing denouement can ruin hours of inspired entertainment. There's nothing worse than investing your time and emotion into something, only to come away with a sour taste in your mouth.

The following plays, players and games are the wet fuse, the power outage and the sour dessert; they are the Absolutely Worst of the NFL in Week 17.

The Absolutely Worst Kick Returner: Pat Lee, Green Bay Packers

After muffing the opening kickoff and nearly gifting the Lions a touchdown, the Packers' backup kick returner, Pat Lee, must have figured the worst was behind him. Despite the swirling winds, arctic temperatures and sporadic snow flurries, Lee must have figured he'd weathered his personal storm for the day, right? Wrong.

On the second kickoff, Lee again muffed the catch. This time, the ball bounced just outside of the end zone before Lee corralled it and took a quick knee. Lee, relieved to come away with a second touchback on two muffed kicks, got up and walked away.

Only one problem: It was a safety.

After a quick conference, the refs agreed: Lee had let the ball completely escape the end zone before hauling it back in, and in doing so gifted the Detroit Lions two points and the ball.

After that gaffe, Lee's returning services were no longer required.

The Absolutely Worst Clock Management: Oakland Raiders

Down 24-13 in a game where they had a chance to win the division, the Oakland Raiders were driving toward field goal territory. After quarterback Carson Palmer hit receiver Louis Murphy at the San Diego 32, the Raiders just needed to give Sebastian Janikowski a chance to unleash his furious kraken of a kicking leg.

Somehow though, eleven seconds wasn't enough for Palmer and the Raiders to get to the line and spike it. With plenty of time left on the clock for Janikowski to make it a one-score game, the Raiders instead whiled away the seconds fudging their alignment and playcalling.

Before Palmer could get the snap off, time ran out on the Raiders' first half—and by the end of the game it ran out on their second half, too. Don't NFL teams practice the "hurry up and spike the ball" play?

The Absolutely Worst Division Clinch: Denver Broncos

The 8-7 Broncos hosted the 7-8 Kansas City Chiefs, and both teams went into the game thinking they had a chance to clinch the AFC West division crown. With a stellar performance, either one could announce to the world they have what it takes to play with the best of the NFL.

Four quarters, three turnovers, three sacks, 12 penalties, 10 points, 21 completions and 547 combined offensive yards later, the Chiefs had bested the Broncos by a pathetic final score of 7-3—but the Broncos still managed to take the division at 8-8.

For a theoretically "meaningful" game, both teams seemed to be searching for reasons why they ought to be playing just then. Finding none, they were content to put it in cruise control and let the fates decide—not the battle cry of a team looking to make noise in the playoffs.

The Absolutely Worst Job-Saving Performance: Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs Head Coach

With ESPN's John Clayton having reported that Raheem Morris would already have been fired were there a suitable interim candidate on the staff, Morris and the Bucs traveled to Atlanta for one last chance to save his job.

To say he got off on the wrong foot would be a massive understatement. The Bucs went into halftime down 42-7, and both teams sleepwalked to a 45-24 finish. The loss was Tampa Bay's 10th straight; they went from 10-6 last season to 4-12 this season, all with essentially the same personnel.

Morris not only failed to secure his job, he essentially showed up to work wearing a "Please Fire Me" T-Shirt.

The Absolutely Worst Storybook Ending To the Absolutely Worst Storybook Season: Buffalo Bills

The Bills, who you might recall as the feel-good story of this season, opened up a 21-0 lead over the New England Patriots by the end of the first stanza. With a chance to sweep New England for the first time since 1999, The Bills took the field in the second quarter and allowed 49 unanswered points.

The Bills started 5-2, shocking the world in the process. They finished 6-10, shocking absolutely no one. Aren't fairy tales supposed to have happy endings?