The Week in Worst: Crappy Thanksgiving, everybody!

One of our favorite holidays was paired with some awful football. We assembled quite a spread of GIFs for your amusement.

by Bill Hanstock

Nov 27, 2012, 3:01 PM UTC

This idiot can’t even Tebow correctly

Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

Bill Hanstock is a writer, author and Emmy Award-winning producer. He began writing for SB Nation in 2011.

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of lots of family and friends and the fuzzy embrace of consumerism, because there sure was a lot of terrible football this week. On Thanksgiving alone, there was a typical Lions meltdown that also included a horrendously blown call (more on that later) and the Jets Jetsing things up from one end of the New Meadowlands (or whatever it's called) to the other. In between those two awful smorgasbords, the Cowboys were also being pretty bad. And once we got through with all of that, there was STILL a full Sunday of football action AND Monday Night Football to get through.

So, in the grand tradition of leftovers, here are the very worst morsels of the feast here for you, in convenient GIF form. Well, maybe not so convenient if you’re on an eight-year-old computer with a dial-up connection, but there’s like a million sales going on right now, so ... go ahead and treat yourself!

Here are the worst plays in the NFL for the week of Nov. 20-26.

Worst Fumble

Player: Mark Sanchez

Date: Nov. 22

You all knew this one was coming. A man ran face-first into his teammate’s butt and fumbled the ball away as a result. How could that not end up in the Week in Worst? The best explanation for this that I can think of is that this is an homage to the late, great Rikishi, but Rikishi is still alive, so that option kind of goes out the window. Nope, Mark Sanchez ran into his buddy’s butt -- with his face -- and gave up the ball when he fell down. There’s probably an analogy for the 2012 Jets season somewhere in there.

Worst Interception (tie)

Player: Mark Sanchez

Date: Nov. 22

Here's the thing about Handsome Mark Sanchez: he's way too handsome. You know how JaMarcus Russell might have been too fat to be an NFL quarterback, and how Tim Tebow might be too muscular and beefy to be an effective NFL quarterback? Handsome Mark is just too handsome. His handsomeness blinds him sometimes and leads to interceptions like this. What likely happened in this play is that he caught a glimpse of his own gorgeous visage in the reflection of one of his linesman's helmets and was paralyzed by beauty. There's no other real reason that he would throw into a double-coverage situation where one of his teammates is completely obscured by a defender who is facing away and another defender is just hanging out waiting for a football to come that way.

Nope, no other explanation. Gotta be the handsome thing. Such a shame. Just too, too handsome.

Player: Ryan Lindley

Date: Nov. 25

I guess this week could have been worse for Lindley, but it's not immediately apparent exactly how. I guess he didn't fall down an elevator shaft? That would have been pretty bad. Check out how the ball is a good seven yards or so shy of Larry Fitzgerald, who was still running. He only changes direction after he sees the ball's about to be intercepted. Better luck next time, kid. Try getting some air under that bad boy.

Worst Route

Player: Brandon Marshall

Date: Nov. 25

Brandon Marshall caught a pass for a five-yard gain and didn't see a window for extra yardage. So he ran backwards, past the line of scrimmage, halfway across the width of the field and then got German suplexed for a seven-yard loss. Yes, I'm aware it was 3rd and 14. That doesn't mean it stops being stupid. On the other hand, that's a pretty swank German suplex.

Worst Call (tie)

Game: Texans vs. Lions

Date: Nov. 22

This is the most famous blown call since GoldenGate, of course. Justin Forsett was down, both with his elbow and his knee, but wasn't called down and just kept running. Lions coach Jim Schwartz, of course, couldn't keep his flag in his pants (not a euphemism) and blew his team a chance at a review. Lions fans got all hot and bothered about this, naturally (not a euphemism) and had to go home and choke down cold turkey after that bitter defeat (euphemism).

Game: Seahawks vs. Dolphins

Date: Nov. 25

Ref: ROUGHING THE PASSER! That's roughing the passer!

Earl Thomas: what

Ref: Roughing the passer! You roughed him.

Thomas: I was trying to knock down the ball. And it was an interception and a touchback.

Ref: Nuh-uh, cuz then you roughed his whole passing area.

Thomas: You mean his body?

Ref: Yuh-huh.

Thomas: But I was already in the air when he threw the ball.

Ref: Doesn't matter. Roughed it.

Thomas: So it's a penalty because I can't defy the laws of physics?

Ref: /shrugs

Thomas: /stares

Ref: /stares

Thomas: /STARES

Ref: /throws hat

Worst Pass/Worst Play

Player: Peyton Hillis

Date: Nov. 25

This play is pretty Chiefs. By which I mean extremely, endlessly Chiefs. Check out Brady Quinn half-assing a "whoops high snap!" fake-out before three-quarters-assing a pass route while running back Peyton Hillis throws a wobbler a couple of yards short. I hope the Chiefs really start embracing the trick plays during their sprint to the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. I genuinely long for a final four weeks of flea-flickers, fake punts, fumblerooskis and what the hell, the gag where the QB sticks the football under his jersey. Don't exert yourselves, guys. Just have fun out there.

Worst Defense (tie)

Team: San Diego Chargers

Date: Nov. 25

Norv Turner must have called for the Keystone Kops defense on this one. A stop -- on a FOURTH AND TWENTY-NINE situation for the Ravens -- would have meant one more notch on Norv's unspeakably infuriating belt, yet not one of the 11 Chargers defenders could stop Ray Rice from converting. My favorite part is probably where three guys all approach him at the 48-yard line and all slip on the same banana peel. WHOOPS WHUPS DOWN GOES US. MERCY HEAVENS GOODNESS.

Player: Khalif Barnes

Date: Nov. 25

What you're looking at here is possibly the worst pass protection ever. You're to keep your eyes on the Raiders' right tackle. No. 69 there. Observe as he just stays in a crouch as Bengals hustle into the pocket and overwhelm poor, befuddled Carson Palmer. He eventually does some light jogging well after the play is out of hand, but he genuinely doesn't move until his man is well past him and chasing Palmer to the sideline. Check it out from the reverse angle.

Yep. That's some protection that would make Doug Free shake his head and mumble softly. DOUG FREE. Sit over there and think about what you've done, Khalif.