Rarely in the NFL do you get a late-season matchup that determines the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
Yet that is essentially what is at stake when the Giants (2-13) travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders (2-13) on Sunday. The loser will officially hold the league’s worst record with only one week left.
It’s hard to believe that despite the Giants’ horror stories of the 1970s and double-digit losses in eight of the last nine seasons, the franchise had not held the No. 1 pick since 1965. They selected running back Tucker Frederickson, who went on to rush for only 2,209 yards in six seasons.
Yes, the greatest defensive player of all-time, Lawrence Taylor, was actually the No. 2 pick in the 1981 draft.
So this is a monumental moment for the franchise. Even if the Giants were to trade the pick to a QB-needy team, they could get back a similar haul to when the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in 2023 for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
Can you imagine how much that would benefit the franchise’s next head coach and probably a new general manager for building around quarterback Jaxson Dart in 2026 and beyond?
If they beat the Raiders, the Giants will still be in strong position for a top-five pick, but it’s more up in the air with tiebreaker scenarios since there are currently four other teams with three wins.
Here’s the only catch, and surely something these players and coaches don’t want on their resumes:
Losing these last two games would cement this team as arguably the worst in franchise history. The 15 losses would be a team record. So would an 11-game losing streak to end the season after the finale against the Cowboys next weekend.
It seemed impossible we would get to this point when Dart had his national coming-out party against the Eagles on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 9. The Giants were 2-4 at the time and nearly 3-3 with a three-game winning streak — if not for five turnovers in New Orleans. The arrow was pointing up, and there was no way Brian Daboll’s team would go 3-14 like it did last season.
Daboll, of course, was fired a month later, and Mike Kafka is now 0-5 as the interim head coach. It’s only gotten worse and worse since the Giants blew fourth-quarter leads against the Packers and the Lions and since Dart returned from a concussion at the start of December.
But something has to give on Sunday.
The Raiders have also lost nine in a row, their last win coming against the Titans on Oct. 12. They have allowed at least 23 points in six straight games, so this week is a prime opportunity for Dart to bounce back after posting a career-low 33 passing yards against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ exotic schemes last week.
Then again, the Giants also have two starting offensive linemen nursing injuries including All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas. He is unlikely to play in these final two meaningless games.
That’s just one of several reasons to doubt this Giants team, which time and time again has come up small in the fourth quarter. Six of their nine losses during this slide have been by a touchdown or less.
Ironically, the Giants’ last road win was on Oct. 6 of last year in Seattle. Geno Smith was the quarterback of that Seahawks team and now quarterbacks the Raiders. The Giants have since lost 13 straight road games and are in danger of finishing winless away from home this season.
While that would be another black eye on this team, the reward of landing the No. 1 pick in the draft is far more important to the franchise in the long run.
There’s never been a greater time for Giants fans to root for a loss. Let the Toilet Bowl commence!
Greg Johnson covers the New York Giants and NFL for MediaNews Group. Reach him at gjohnson@trentonian.com.
Giants Gameday
The Game: Giants (2-13) at Raiders (2-13), Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev., Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Line: New York by 2.5
History: The Raiders lead the all-time series, 9-6, and won in blowout fashion in the teams’ last meeting in 2023 in Las Vegas, 30-6. The Giants’ last win came in East Rutherford in 2021.
Key Matchups:
Giants LT Marcus Mbow vs. Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce: The Raiders are shutting down four-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby for the final two games with a knee injury, but Koonce will still be a solid test for the Giants rookie, who is filling in for injured All-Pro Andrew Tackle. Koonce has three sacks and eight QB hits.
Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson vs. Raiders CB Kyu Blu Kelly: Robinson is 99 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season. Kelly has three interceptions and six passes defended.
Giants OLB Brian Burns vs. Raiders LT Stone Forsythe: This is a huge advantage up front for the Giants as Forsythe is one of the league’s worst left tackles. Burns was named to the Pro Bowl this week and is having a dream season with career highs in sacks (15), TFLs (20) and QB hits (27).
Giants secondary vs. Raiders TE Michael Mayer: The Giants have allowed the eighth-fewest receiving yards (671) to tight ends. Brock Bowers, the Raiders’ leading receiver, has been shut down for the season. Mayer has only 23 catches for 192 yards and a TD in 11 games.
Injury Report:
Giants: OUT: WR Beaux Collins (neck/concussion), DL D.J. Davidson (neck/concussion), OL Evan Neal (neck), S Tyler Nubin (neck), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring); DOUBTFUL: C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (finger); QUESTIONABLE: CB Cor’Dale Flott (knee), DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (ankle/toe), OL Joshua Ezeudu (calf).
Raiders: OUT: DE Maxx Crosby (knee), OT Kolton Miller (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee), WR Jack Bech (back).
Giant Facts: The Giants are averaging a nearly identical 21.37 points per game on the road compared to 20.28 at home. … The Giants have 12 games with 100+ yards rushing this season, tied with the Cowboys for the second-most. … Tyler Nubin’s 27-yard fumble return touchdown last week was the longest by a Giants player since Tae Crowder’s 43-yard return in 2020.
The Prediction: Raiders 23, Giants 20
