Five worst Week 18 NFL performances: Packers take massive step back before wild-card round

Per Stathead research, it's the most yards lost on a rush attempt between the tackles since 1978 that didn't involve a fumble or player running out the back of the end zone purposefully for a safety at the end of a game.

The Packers have lost four in a row, the longest skid among the 2025 playoff field. Edge-rusher Micah Parsons' season-ending ACL injury appears to have sucked all life out of Green Bay's season, and with a trip to the Chicago Bears upcoming in the wild-card round, it could easily take another drastic step back next week. 

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance

It's time for the NFL to stop trying to make Lance happen. The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft flamed out with the San Francisco 49ers and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season. He signed with the Chargers as Justin Herbert's backup this offseason and got a chance to start Week 18 with Los Angeles' playoff spot secured. It should probably be his last.

Lance completed less than half of his passes, finishing 20-of-44 for 136 yards and an interception in the 19-3 loss to the Denver Broncos (14-3). He also struggled with pressure, losing 32 yards on four sacks. Thankfully for the Chargers (11-6), they have Herbert at starting quarterback. Sunday showed how pathetic they'd be without him.

New York Giants

When the Giants (4-13) were still in contention, they were among the league's worst teams. But in the season's final two games — when losing to secure the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft would have been far preferable to winning — New York suddenly became the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

The Giants followed a Week 17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) with a 34-17 rout of the Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1) in the regular season finale, dropping them from possessing the No. 2 overall pick to No. 5.

New York Jets

And they said it couldn't be done. Or was it shouldn't?

On Sunday, the Jets made shameful NFL history, becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to fail to record an interception for an entire season. 

New York fell on the road to the Buffalo Bills (12-5), 35-8, and made backup Mitchell Trubisky look like a All-Pro (don't take the bait, QB-needy teams). He was 22-of-29 for 259 yards and four touchdowns as the Jets ended 2025 giving up 36 passing touchdowns, the most in the NFL.

The Jets lost their last five games by a combined score of 188-54, an average margin of defeat of 26.8 points per game. As terrible as they were over the final month-plus of the season, their remarkable futility at creating turnovers will be what this team will be most remembered for. 

NFC South

The New Orleans Saints (6-11) and Atlanta Falcons (8-9) decided their division's fate on Sunday, with the Falcons' 19-17 win sending the Carolina Panthers (8-9), who lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) on Saturday, to the playoffs.

The division is the first since the — you guessed it — NFC South in 2022 to have its winner finish below .500. That year, the Bucs were also 8-9, only to lose to the Cowboys in the wild-card round.

Sunday's decisive divisional game was as sloppy as we'd expect from the NFL's worst division, with the Saints and Falcons piling miscue on top of miscue in the first quarter. Saints tight end Juwan Johnson fumbled after a catch on New Orleans' first offensive play, while Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a red-zone interception to defensive end Carl Granderson on the ensuing possession. New Orleans also had a punt blocked in the opening 15 minutes to really drive the point home.

The Saints out-gained the Falcons, 340-208, and averaged 1.4 yards per play more than their counterpart but were ultimately undone by the two turnovers, the blocked punt and a missed field goal. It was a fitting end to the season for the NFL's black sheep division.