DECEMBER 29: ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports some in the Giants’ organization found the Raiders’ IR moves leading up to yesterday’s game to be suspicious. They certainly helped Vegas move into pole position for the top selection, however. Similar actions can be expected in future years when games critical to determining the draft order take place late in the season.
DECEMBER 28: In what would be a snoozer of a game any time before, say, Week 14, today’s matchup between the two teams with the worst records in the NFL held huge implications for each franchise’s future. With a loss today, the Giants could have all but locked up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but after New York blew out Las Vegas to the tune of 34-10, the Raiders now sit in the driver’s seat heading into the regular season finale.
It seems only two teams remain eligible to secure the top pick in the league’s next draft, and it’s still the two who played each other today. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants still hold a 20% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick by losing next week, when they host the Cowboys, and seeing Vegas beat the Chiefs. Raanan’s ESPN coworker, Adam Schefter, followed up Raanan’s report to point out the remaining 80 percent of probability belongs solely to the Raiders, who can secure the top pick with a Week 18 home loss to Kansas City.
A couple factors should give New York fans some hope behind their smaller odds. Todd Archer, another contributor at ESPN, reported shortly after the Cowboys’ Christmas Day game that quarterback Dak Prescott has “pride” in starting the final game of the 2025 season, giving the Giants a tougher matchup for the final week of the season. Additionally, the Chiefs offense will be led by QB3 Chris Oladokun after both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew suffered season-ending injuries.
Working against the Giants’ odds is the fact that the Raiders appear to be self-handicapping their team for what could be an easy matchup against the ailing Chiefs to close out the year. All before the penultimate week of the regular season, the Raiders shut down the seasons of starting offensive guard Jordan Meredith, star tight end Brock Bowers, and starting safety Jeremy Chinn, not to mention star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Additionally, after starting quarterback Geno Smith left today’s game with an injury, head coach Pete Carroll announced that Smith would miss the team’s regular season finale with a high ankle sprain, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The move to place Crosby on injured reserve seems especially blatant as Crosby has been banging the table, advocating for himself, wanting to play out the rest of the season. Crosby had started every game this year up until this week despite suffering a midseason knee injury that both player and team have known for a while would require a meniscus trim procedure to repair. Las Vegas made the move to place Crosby on IR yesterday and plan his surgery against the will of the star pass rusher, ending his season and causing him to walk out of the team facility.
Crosby spoke against the transaction, telling the media that he doesn’t care “about the pick” and that his “job is to be the best defensive end in the world.” Crosby even received two alternative medical opinions on his situation, both of which indicated that he could continue to play, provided he could handle any accompanying pain. Seemingly to speak out against his team’s decision and prove he could still play, Crosby posted videos to his Instagram story yesterday that showed him playing basketball and playing with his daughter on a trampoline, activities that would be difficult for someone with a season-ending knee injury.
Regardless, heading into the final week of the regular season, the Raiders will enter a winnable game against an injury-riddled Chiefs squad without Smith, Bowers, Meredith, Chinn, and Crosby, as well as earlier-injured starting offensive linemen Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. The Giants will head into a tough matchup against a favored Cowboys team, but their draft slot will likely be determined by the actions of the Raiders, who seem to unashamedly be aiming for the No. 1 overall pick.
Crosby said that his “job is to be the best defensive end in the world.” Someone should remind him that it’s a team sport and his job is to win football games and ultimately the Super Bowl. Trade him for a package in the off season and preferably to a losing team since he doesn’t care about winning anyway.
By being the best defensive end he can impact winning duh. Seen TJ Watt win games for Steelers with some big plays. You acting like he is the coach and FO. The team is pretty devoid of talent. Their #1 wr is not a top wr on any other team. Bad oline, no QB, secondary bad, starting Devin White at LB I know you bad at that position.
Oh you support faking injuries. Aren’t you a prize?
Huh?
@hersch- He gets paid because he’s talented, therefore his job is to attempt to be the best player he can be, which contributes to winning games (hence his statement that he doesn’t care about the pick).
Also, trading him would give him precisely what he wants, so it would be a reward, not punishment. He wants to win, and given that the Raiders will likely finish with the number 1 pick, any other org would be an automatic upgrade. And remember, Vegas spent a 1st round pick on a luxury position last draft, then won 2 games this season. Not sure I trust those decision makers to suddenly turn the team around. At least heading elsewhere would give him the opportunity to improve on Vegas’ win total.
You didn’t think this comment through much.
They’ll find a way to F this up. Either a win or in the draft. Never fails.
Tanking for #1 will cost the head coach his job.
Good
I’m a Browns fan and witnessed Hue Jackson being brought back for a third season so that’s not exactly true lol
Exactly… The coach has zero incentive to tank. The players are fighting for their NFL lives. These players are auditioning for their next teams. Fans forget that they’re the only ones who actually want to tank.
2-15 should suffice in that decision. Actually losing this game would be a bonus, a step in the right direction, a glimmer of hope.
Raiders showed they’re a shyte team by moving both Bowers and Crosby to IR — Crosby wasn’t even at the game. Giants dominated with 2 TD runs by Jaxson Dart, a 95-yard kickoff return TD by Dionte Banks, plus a pair of INTs.
And here’s a warning sign for the Raider Nation: The only other time Raiders had the #1 overall pick, they drafted JaMarcus Russell.
Thanks for the reminder.
They could have started Jesus and his disciples and still wouldn’t have won that game. That game looked and felt like every single game this season. Everyone crying about not starting these guys are probably fantasy fa*s and are irrelevant anyway.
At this point, lose out is the best choice, whether you like it or not. But assuming they’re actually trying to lose when they have played this terrible since week 1 is quite inaccurate and you’re giving them more credit than they deserve.
Also, hindsight is 20/20. Raiders needed a QB and they overlooked Russell’s obvious flaws, they were desperate. His film wasn’t the issue, him watching film was apparently the issue 😂. Raiders aren’t as experienced at drafting #1 as some other teams, but hey, times change.
Raiders 100% tanked today but I also can’t blame them. There’s no penalty for tanking and the difference between the 1 and 2 or worse pick could potentially be franchise-altering. Getting to draft the QB you want without having to give up any additional assets is huge. Even if the NFL fined them or something, you pay it without thinking.
A buddy of mine called today’s game the “Forfeit Bowl.” When I asked what he meant, he said, “The winner forfeits the #1 pick.”
I was calling it the Toilet Bowl but your friend’s name is better lmao
The Raiders still would have lost with Bowers and/or Crosby playing.
It was actually nice to see Mayer play so well and a reminder that while Bowers is an extremely talented player, we could’ve addressed other issues with that draft pick a couple years ago.
Exactly. People commenting haven’t watched every game. They literally played just exactly like they have since week 1. That’s what’s sad….they’re actually trying 🤦🏻♂️
Doesn’t make a huge amount of difference.
Raiders will likely take a Mendoza who is the best QB and likely Heisman winner. Whereas Giants seem really happy with Dart and wouldn’t have taken a QB with first pick anyway. If anything the only change is that Giants likely won’t traded back for a QB needy team now as a team like Jets can take Moore third overall. Unless Arizona felt desperate to get him they would’ve been the likely buyer.
“Likely Heisman winner”? You’re only 15 days late.
My bad lol
“Doesn’t make a huge amount of difference.”
I disagree. There’s a huge amount of difference here. Giants at #1 trade back and get a bunch of additional assets and still probably draft who they want. Giants at #2 might just draft without trading.
Raiders at #1 draft Mendoza. Raiders at #2 either trade up for Mendoza or draft someone else.
Giants yeah sure could’ve traded back but l don’t think they would’ve.
Look at the teams around them…
Titans have Cam Ward
Browns have Watson, Gabriel and Sanders
Commanders have Jayden Daniel’s
Saints have so many holes already
Bengals, Cheifs, Rams no way.
Arizona sure but they’ve paid Kyler already same with Dolphins and Tua…
Jets, ain’t no way Giants just hand the Jets their franchise QB and have to listen to that in NY for the next decade plus.
Think they would’ve just selected who they wanted at 1 regardless. Mendoza would’ve fallen to 2 and Raiders would’ve got him.
Yeah, hard disagree. I cannot imagine a scenario where the Giants had the #1 pick and didn’t trade it to the highest bidder. Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins, Raiders all need a QB and the Jets in particular have a lot of draft assets. I assure you that no one in the Giants front office cares about something as silly as worrying about “handing the Jets their franchise QB”. If the offer is good, they’d take it in a heartbeat.
You also say “no way” for the Rams and I disagree. They own their own 1st and the Falcons 1st and eventually need a successor to Stafford.
There’s no chance the Giants would spend the #1 on an OL or something when multiple teams are salivating for Mendoza or even Moore.
Why would the Giants not trade it if they had it? Plenty of teams would want to move up for Mendoza. Rct named 4 in the Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, and Dolphins, but I might add the Browns, Steelers, and Saints to that list, too. 7 teams wanting the #1 pick creates a market for it.
Raiders have a chance here.
Trade Crosby for picks. You’re gonna get at least a 2026 1st rounder
Take Mendoza
Take a new #1 wr with the Crosby pick
2nd round pick grab another receiver
Free agency fix the oline protect your rookie QB
Fix your dline
Id pony up for Tyler Linderbaum from BAL to be your center. Bring in Salyer from LAC to be your RT. Bring in Brunskill MIA and bring back Parham to be your guards.
DT/DE wise sign Tim Settle HOU, John Franklin Myers DEN, Tonga from NE, Mafe from SEA, Epenesa from BUF
Fix the line should be top priority for Vegas
100% agree but no way raiders are that smart. Look at the stupid drafting last two years. SMH.
Drafted their starting RB and the best TE in the game for the next 5 years…now how is that stupid? Can’t draft 5 offensive linemen in the first round. Can’t draft a WR if you don’t have anyone to throw them the ball. They took the best possible players at the spot. What they can’t fix in the draft or FA is the front office. That is where the problem lies.
I assume Linderbaum will be franchised, if not outright extended. I can’t see Baltimore letting him go. There’s a few others I suspect will be retained by their teams, too.
They can’t afford to franchise him. The tag amount for o lineman is based off all 5 positions, so they’d have have to pay a center tackle money. I know he’s great but that’s a lot
They absolutely need to trade back, they’re not Mendoza away from competing.
And that’s if you believe Mendoza is a franchise QB. I do not.
Yeah I’m with you. He will likely be a busy and as a #1 pick he could be a giant bust.
Why will he “likely” be a bust? He does a lot of things NFL franchise QBs do against the competition level you want him to do it against in college. He’s so similar to Goff coming out but with a bit more athleticism.
They’re not an “anyone” away from competing lol. You still have to draft players and it’s tough to get this high of a pick. The raiders have been awful for years and have only sniffed the top pick a few times. If you believe a franchise qb is there you don’t just pass
The Raiders select Jamarcus Russel Jr.
Acting like Dante Moore or Fernando Mendoza will save this offense…..classic….going to take a lot more then a rookie QB for this offense…..Geno Smith was a very good QB until he got traded to Vegas….what makes anyone think a rookie will fair better 🤔
“Very good” is quite kind. He was a below average starting QB who wanted a ton of money. There’s a reason Seattle traded him, added Darnold, and improved from a team outside the playoffs to the top team in the league.
Mendoza Jeanty (need a WR1) Tucker Bech Bowers
That’s a solid little offence. In terms of youth and potential they’ll all peak on a similar timeline.
I’d keep Crosby and then look to build around him. Don’t think the o line is the biggest issue. In that division going up against Herbert Mahomes and Nico I think you need to limit their scores and just see what the kids have on offence first
None of that solid little offense matters without a line to protect the QB.
Smartest thing the Raiders ever did was lose the reverse Super Bowl. No reason to risk their young pro bowlers to potentially get a worse draft pick. Brady finally talked some sense into Davis.
Of course like all Raiders master plans this could blow up and become a disaster, if the soon to be fired Pete Carroll, decides to give Davis the finger like Lovie Smith did with Houston and win the season finale.
crosby had a more productive day playing basketball with his kids then suiting up for the raiders
Minshew did not suffer an acl injury
I mean, look at how tall all the QBs are on division leaders right now. FM 6’5, very mature , comes from a good family with two masters degrees, that’s the kinda guy your looking for at the leadership position
And you didn’t even mention any of his tools, many of which should translate to the NFL.
As a Raider fan of 45 years I fully expect them to trade Jeanty for 3rd and 4th rounders at the draft and take Love as their new RB. Smart? No. But I’ve been a Raider fan for dang near a half century…..I’ve come to expect dumb stuff. Except when Reggie was in charge for a short while. He actually had the team on the right path. But he wasn’t high profile enough for Bowl Cut.
Draft lottery.
Nope. Things should always be decided on the field.
When only one team is playing, it’s WWE or Broadway, not a sport.
Congratulations, for an organization desperate for a franchise QB, they have the 1st pick in a draft with no such players available.