Raiders in position to earn No. 1 pick after blowout loss to Giants

One of the most significant games on the NFL Week 17 schedule featured two teams not going to the playoffs this season. 

The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants entered Sunday's game with two wins each and tied for the worst record in the NFL. The loser of that game was going to put itself in the driver's seat to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

That loser — and probably winner in the eyes of fans — ended up being the Raiders as their 34-10 loss put them in sole possession of last place in the NFL standings. That means a loss next week against the Kansas City Chiefs would clinch the No. 1 overall pick, perhaps allowing them to land a long-term solution at quarterback. 

Did the Raiders coaching staff and front office tank?

The players on the field on Sunday were absolutely not thinking about next year's draft pick and were trying to play for jobs, and perhaps even pride. Professional athletes want to win every game. That sort of mentality is what gets them to the highest level. But the approach of an organization is going to be very, very different, and certain roster moves can be made to position a team for draft positioning.

The Raiders were already playing without star tight end Brock Bowers, and then this week shut down superstar edge-rusher Maxx Crosby.  While Crosby had been playing through an injury all year, the point remains that he was, in fact, playing and seemed to have no desire to be sat down for the season. The Raiders' decision to do so did not go over well with him and may have even strained the relationship between him and the team. 

But the Raiders need a quarterback (and a lot of other pieces), and finishing with the No. 1 pick could go a long way toward helping to fix that. There was an incentive for the Raiders front office to field a lineup that was less than their best. 

From a Giants perspective, this is the second year in a row — almost to the day — that they entered Week 17 in position to earn the top pick, and then won big.