To put things mildly, the Las Vegas Raiders' future hung in the balance in Week 17 when the New York Giants made the trip to Allegiant Stadium. Lose, and Las Vegas would have the inside track to the No. 1 pick next April. Win, and the Raiders would seal their franchise quarterback-less fate once again.
The Giants are known to blow a lead in the fourth quarter, and a Las Vegas touchdown with 31 seconds left in the third period made the score 20-10. The Raiders had just made a goal-line stop and held New York to a field goal on the possession before, so the momentum was swinging in their favor.
Then, Deonte Banks stepped in. On the ensuing kickoff following Las Vegas' touchdown to make it a 10-point game, Banks fielded the kick and took it 95 yards to the house, extending the lead to 17 and putting things firmly out of reach for the Raiders. And that was the end of the story on Sunday.
Fans have Deonte Banks to thank for keeping Raiders at arm's length
These have been the kind of meaningless games that Las Vegas has won in recent years, and the kind that the Giants have lost all season. Raiders fans really should write Banks a thank-you card for his contributions to the tank effort taking place in Las Vegas. I'll start the movement.
Dear Deonte,
Words cannot express how thankful I am for your incredible kickoff return for a touchdown on Sunday. Never mind the fact that Las Vegas fired its special teams coordinator weeks ago, and you still didn't get touched on your 95-yard return to paydirt. That doesn't matter.
What matters is that you so bravely found the end zone when it was so far away. That you still tried to help your team win when even your fans were hoping that you'd fall short. Giants fans may be mad at you today, but if the Raiders land the No. 1 pick next April, you'll always be a legend in Las Vegas.
I believe I speak for all of Raider Nation when I say: Thank you for taking the wind out of our sails on that fateful December afternoon. Your touchdown jaunt took the air out of the stadium, and it probably sealed the fate of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith in one fell swoop.
Your contribution cannot go unnoticed or unthanked. Give our best to your other teammates, notably, Jaxson Dart, Wan'Dale Robinson, Bobby Okereke and Dane Belton for a job well done. But give yourself most of the credit for your game-changing play. Expect a fruit basket at your locker.
Thank you,
Levi Dombro
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Okay, perhaps that was a tad dramatic. But somebody had to say it! Banks' return for a touchdown was emblematic of the whole 2025 campaign for the Raiders, as nothing good ever stayed or lasted very long. Las Vegas constantly got in its own way with self-inflicted wounds, as it did on the return.
Without that momentum-halting play, there is a chance that the Raiders come back and win that game. No, Carroll's group hasn't shown much resilience since Week 1, and they've failed to mount comeback after comeback this season. But, again, the Giants are infamous for giving the game away.
If Las Vegas does lose next week against the Kansas City Chiefs and ends up with the top selection in 2026, it is going to be hard to pick a single moment from this excruciating year that led the team to the coveted spot at the top of the board.
But Banks' return, while brutal and an indictment of just how bad things are right now for the Silver and Black, was the ultimate sign that the Raiders deserve the No. 1 pick. Things are that bad. So, once again, thank you, Deonte. You may have changed the outlook of this franchise forever.