The Las Vegas Raiders are currently tied with the New York Giants for last place in the National Football League at 2-13, but the Giants are in position to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft due to strength of schedule.
These two teams meet each other this week and the loser will more than likely obtain the honors of selecting first overall.
The Raiders are trying to build on a good offensive performance despite the loss to the Houston Texans and their No. 1 defense in Week 16 while the Giants are hoping for a better performance out of the passing game after logging 13 net passing yards against the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Las Vegas’ offense was solid and moving the ball well, two things that haven’t been said about this offense since Week 1. Quarterback Geno Smith completed 16 of 23 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while being sacked three times for a total loss of 31 yards. It might not sound like the greatest performance but considering the opponent and how Smith has played this season, he played well.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty shined bright against Houston’s impressive defense, logging 128 yards on 24 carries as well as catching one pass for 60 yards and a touchdown. His 188 all-purpose yards were a career-high, topping the mark he set in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears (155).
Many fans of these teams would genuinely prefer to lose so that they have the best chance at picking No. 1, but head coach Pete Carroll wants to snap the team’s nine-game losing streak.
“Does coach Pete Carroll care if a win weakens the team's chances of claiming the No. 1 pick? Of course not,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote Friday. “Las Vegas made strides offensively in last week's loss. Carroll wants to build on that performance to snap the Raiders' own nine-game skid. ‘I'm not really that concerned about any of that, and I don't think you want me to be,’ Carroll said. ‘We're going to go play and play the best we can play and see what happens.’”
It seems like the offense is starting to find a groove late in the season, and this matchup should do numbers for both the offense and the defense. Giants QB Jaxson Dart completed just seven of 13 passes for 33 yards and an interception against the Vikings while being sacked five times for a total loss of 20 yards, registering an abysmal 4.9 QB rating.