Well, it wasn't pretty. In fact, it was terribly, terribly ugly. But the Las Vegas Raiders did what they needed to do at Allegiant Stadium in Week 17, losing to the New York Giants by a lopsided final score of 34-10. It actually wasn't even as close as the outcome would indicate.
On the one hand, it is a bit discouraging that things are so bad with the Raiders that they got blown out at home by a 2-13 team led by a rookie quarterback. Yes, Las Vegas had several key players out, but the Giants also had a handful of starters and important players sidelined as well.
More importantly, the Raiders lost and did not screw up their high draft position, at least for now. Las Vegas currently owns the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft next April, but the Kansas City Chiefs, led by practice squad quarterback Chris Oladokun, still stand in their way in Week 18.
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However, for now, Raider Nation can bask in the glory of controlling their own destiny to the top selection, which is something that they have only had once before in franchise history. Of course, they botched that pick in 2007 by taking JaMarcus Russell, but that was nearly two decades ago.
Initially, it looked like Las Vegas was going to put up a fight on Sunday, but a Geno Smith interception in the red zone stopped them in their tracks. The Raiders got behind, as they always do, and they didn't have enough in the tank to mount a comeback. Or anything remotely close to it.
They did score a touchdown in the third quarter to make it a two-score game, but Giants cornerback Deonte Banks ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown to stretch the lead back to 17 points. That was all she wrote in Las Vegas, as the return completely took the wind out of the Raiders' sails.
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For good measure, Smith threw another interception in the fourth quarter, and Jaxson Dart and the New York offense capitalized on it. They extended their lead to 34-10 on a Dart rushing touchdown, which was the final score of the game.
In some ways, this was a new low for the Raiders, as they got the brakes beaten off of them by a two-win Giants team, at home, no less. But they're also one step closer to a potentially franchise-altering draft pick, which the fan base has been clamoring for since October.
Even though they came out on the wrong end of the scoreboard, the Raiders are the true winners from Sunday's game. Las Vegas is the Week 17 Tank Bowl champions, but the mission is not quite complete. They'll need to lose again to cinch their fate, but it's looking pretty promising.