3 NY Giants Storylines Ahead of 2025 Road Finale vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Who gets the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft? The outcome of the Giants' Week 17 road game against the Raiders could decide it.

Las Vegas Raiders helmets on the sidelines at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It’s weird to say it, but for the New York Giants, there is indeed something to play for this weekend when they visit the Las Vegas Raiders in New York’s final road game of 2025.

That “something” is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft, the coveted prize among the non-playoff teams, and a prize that the Giants, should they land it, could change the franchise for the better, considering that they could trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team for a boatload of draft picks in 2026 and 2027.

However, as far as the Giants players are concerned, they are trying to stay oblivious to what’s at stake.  

“I just approach every game the same way, whether it's the first game of the season or the last game of the season. So that's nothing that we really think about,” said cornerback Paulson Adebo.

Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson agreed.

“I really don't think we talk about that part too much about the draft positioning and wanting a certain pick or anything like that,” he said. 

“I think we just want to go out there and play our best football and go out there and get a win.”

There’s a reason why it doesn’t matter to the players. With a new head coach expected in the building by the end of January, some players, either due to pending free agency or a poor fit, won’t be wearing Giants blue next season. But more importantly, the Giants refuse to tank because it’s just not in their DNA as competitors.

Not that it makes the fan base, which has been left disappointed yet again by another miserable season, happy. But who knows? The Giants have struggled to beat the teams they should beat, so perhaps there might be a holiday miracle in store for Big Blue this weekend after all.

Here are the storylines to watch ahead of the Giants’ penultimate game of the season.

Who’s In, Who’s Out

New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas suffered a hamstring injury last week. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When we last left the Giants, they had a fresh batch of injured players awaiting medical reports.

The list includes left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), center John Michael Schmitz (right hand), and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (knee). 

Interim head coach Mike Kafka characterized the injured players as “day-to-day.” And perhaps that’s what he was led to believe when he spoke to the media on Monday, just as he was probably led to believe that outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who landed on IR with a shoulder sprain, had a chance to return this season.

At this point, does it really pay for the Giants to play Thomas, Flott, and Schmitz, three guys who could very well be cornerstone foundations for the next head coach?

It does not. But the Giants, in keeping with the “competitive advantage” notion, won’t come right out and admit it.

Jaxson Dart’s Status

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) practices before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This season has been one of mixed messages when it comes to rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The team, remember, held Dart out of the starting lineup for the first three games, which just so happened to coincide with Thomas finally being cleared to return.

Then, after Dart returned from a two-game absence due to his concussion suffered in Week 10, the Giants cut back on his designed runs, partly due to the game flow and partly, it’s believed, to protect the rookie.

Then last week against a ferocious Vikings defense, rather than let Dart cut his teeth in trying to figure things out, they went with a conservative run-based offense that raised questions about the coaches’ confidence in the rookie to sort through the trees in a game that meant nothing to the Giants other than for pride.  

So now, with Thomas and Schmitz potentially inactive for the rest of the season, logic dictates that the Giants will sit Dart for the rest of the year, rather than risk a late-season injury, right?

Not so fast. Kafka said there are no plans to sit Dart regardless. We get the logic–the Giants can’t exercise caution every time there is an injury, or something goes astray, as eventually Dart has to learn to work with what he has, even if it’s not the ideal slate of talent. 

Yes, Dart needs as many reps as possible. And yes, pulling Dart might send a negative message to the locker room that Kafka is throwing in the towel. 

But again, with the season-long over for the Giants and given how the Giants have “protected” Dart since he became the starter, it seems almost reckless of the organization to put him out there and risk a late-season injury that could compromise what is a very important offseason ahead with a new head coach coming in.  

A Road Win?

The Giants will try to get their first road win in over a year against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Long gone are the days when the Giants were known as the “Road Warriors” for their resiliency in hostile territories. 

Yes, sad but true: the Giants have not won on the road since Week 5 (October 6) of the 2024 season when they topped Seattle 29-20.

The Raiders, meanwhile, haven’t exactly had much success at home, posting a 1-6 record this season, with their last home win coming on October 6 in a 20-10 takedown of the Titans. 

The Giants, probably because of the injury situation previously mentioned, are a 1.5 underdog this week to the Raiders, according to FanDuel. 

Although the Raiders represent their best (and final) chance to snap what is now a league-worst nine-game losing streak, the Big Blue walls continue to crumble as fans are instead turning their focus to the offseason and how ownership plans to fix what has been a disappointing and underperforming team.

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