The New York Giants finally won a football game. The Las Vegas Raiders lost their tenth straight. And somewhere in the middle of this mess, both franchises are trying to figure out what any of this means for April's draft.
Final score: Giants 34, Raiders 10. Nine-game losing streak over. Tank Bowl 2025 officially decided.
The victory nobody wanted to celebrate
Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend this was some triumphant moment for Giants football. They beat a Raiders team missing Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby. They beat a team that started Geno Smith at quarterback—who has 17 interceptions this season, the most in the NFL. They beat a team that has given up on 2025 and started looking at 2026 mock drafts weeks ago.
But they won. And for a locker room that hasn't experienced victory since October, that matters.
"The things we were playing for were each other," interim coach Mike Kafka said after his first win. "You get into a football locker room, it's a family."
Jaxson Dart had himself a day
The rookie quarterback from Ole Miss threw for 207 yards and rushed for 50 more, including two rushing touchdowns. After last week's disaster against the Vikings—where he mustered just 33 passing yards—Dart looked like the player Giants fans hoped they were getting when he took over the starting job.
Two rushing scores, no turnovers, efficient decision-making against a weakened defense. Not spectacular, but competent. And competent has been hard to find in East Rutherford lately.
The milestones that actually matter
Wan'Dale Robinson caught 11 passes for 113 yards, pushing him over 1,000 receiving yards for the season. He becomes the first player 5-foot-8 or shorter to hit that mark since 5-foot-7 Richard Johnson in 1989.
"It means a lot," Robinson said. "I've always been labeled a slight guy that can only do certain things and never hit certain numbers. So I wanted to prove really to myself that I can do everything out on the football field that I need to do."
Brian Burns added 1.5 sacks to push his season total to 16.5, tying Jason Pierre-Paul's 2011 total for fourth-most in a single season in franchise history. Only Michael Strahan's 18.5 in 2003 stands between Burns and the top three.
Deonte Banks—the much-maligned cornerback who lost his starting job earlier this season—returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the Giants' first kickoff return touchdown since Ihmir Smith-Marsette's 100-yarder against the Colts last season.
What about the draft?
Here's where it gets complicated. The Raiders, now 2-14, are in prime position for the No. 1 overall pick. They'll secure it with a loss to Kansas City next week. The Giants, now 3-13, could still wind up with the top selection if they lose to Dallas and the Raiders somehow beat the Chiefs.
Does that matter? That depends on what you believe about franchise-building.
If you think the difference between the No. 1 and No. 2 pick is negligible, then this win means nothing negative. If you believe the Giants desperately need whoever sits atop draft boards next April, then this victory was the worst possible outcome.
I'm not going to tell you which perspective is right. But I will tell you this: asking players and coaches to lose on purpose is a fantasy that exists only in the minds of fans and analysts. Once that whistle blows, everyone on the field is trying to win.
The Raiders' silver lining
For Las Vegas, this loss is exactly what the front office wanted, even if no one will say it publicly. Geno Smith left early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, likely ending his season. Kenny Pickett finished the game.
The Raiders have their pick of the 2026 draft class—presumably a quarterback—and can start building toward a future that doesn't include the mess they've created over the past two seasons.
The Giants, meanwhile, will host the Cowboys in Week 18. Win that one, and their tank is officially complete. Lose it, and they'll keep their draft positioning in play.
Either way, both franchises have a lot of work to do. Sunday's result just determines who picks first.