The Las Vegas Raiders, even in what most were referring to as "The Tank Bowl," could not compete against the New York Giants. The 34-10 beatdown on their home turf was just another low point for the franchise in a 2025 NFL season full of them. But greener pastures are ahead.
Las Vegas inched closer to the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after Sunday's game, meaning, in the scheme of things, they actually emerged victorious. But before we broaden the scope, let's take a look at the biggest culprits in the Raiders' Week 17 loss, and a few bright spots as well.
Winners and losers from Raiders' successful venture against Giants
Winners
1. Michael Mayer
Dare I say, Mayer had a Brock Bowers-like impact for the Las Vegas offense. He took full advantage of his opportunity, catching nine passes on 10 targets for 89 yards, all of which were career highs. Mayer came through on several third and fourth-down conversions as well. His best NFL game yet.
2. Tre Tucker
Tucker started to show signs of life again, as he caught five of his six targets for 49 yards, also adding a nice 10-yard run. This was his most productive game since Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans. He and Geno Smith also connected on a deep pass for the first time in forever. A positive step.
3. Malcolm Koonce
Koonce filled in admirably for Maxx Crosby on Sunday, recording a sack, a tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, eight pressures and four run stops. He was everywhere for the Raiders' defense, and his relentless effort led to several big plays. He is starting to look like his old self.
Losers
1. Geno Smith
It's hard to start the losers list with anyone other than Smith. His first interception was backbreaking, and his second was just the icing on the cake. He took three more sacks and threw one ultimately meaningless touchdown. Las Vegas should start another quarterback for their season finale.
2. Pete Carroll
Carroll's Raiders have now lost 14 games, including 10 in a row and counting. The team had no fight on Sunday, as they dropped to 1-7 at home. Las Vegas has lost by double-digits in nine games, and that isn't even counting the Denver Broncos game, where they kicked a field goal with seconds left.
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3. Patrick Graham
Obviously, not having Maxx Crosby or Jeremy Chinn is a tough draw. But the Raiders still gave up 34 points to the Giants, who had been averaging just 20.9 points per game. This was tied for their second-highest output, and Las Vegas had no takeaways and just two sacks.
4. Atonio Mafi
Mafi filled in for Dylan Parham at left guard, a switch that seemingly happened just seconds before the Raiders took the field for their first offensive possession. Outside of a few decent run blocks, he didn't exactly fare well, drawing two holding penalties and struggling in pass protection.
5. Devin White
White had a typical Sunday for the Raiders. He led the team with eight tackles, but he also missed a handful of tackles and gave up, by our count, 10 receptions for over 100 yards. That has been par for the course for White this year, but that doesn't get him off this list.
6. Special teams
As usual, Las Vegas had a critical blunder in the often-overlooked third component of the game. Just when the Raiders found a bit of momentum, the Giants returned a kickoff for a touchdown, which took the air out of the stadium and ended the team's chances of mounting a comeback.
7. Run defense
Even without their best running back, New York has one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. They dominated Las Vegas on the ground in Week 17, rushing for 155 yards on 5.0 yards per carry and tacking on three touchdowns, two of which came from rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.