The Good, Bad, and Ugly from the Raiders' Loss to Giants

The Las Vegas Raiders are on a 10-game losing streak for the second consecutive season.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders guard Alex Cappa (65) prepares to snap the ball in the first quarter against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders' matchup against the New York Giants was shorthanded on both sides. However, Las Vegas was much more short-handed than their opponent, which hurt them for Sunday's game but helped them in the long term.

The Raiders' loss on Sunday put the finishing touches on another lost season. Below is the good, bad, and ugly from the Raiders' loss.

The Good

The Raiders lost! The best thing about their game against the Giants was the loss itself. There are no other positives worth noting from the Raiders' 10th consecutive loss. The Raiders have the worst roster in the league but are now in prime position to secure the top pick in the NFL Draft.

Las Vegas' roster has a slew of needs, and the No. 1 pick in the draft would give them plenty of flexibility and options during the offseason. Should the Raiders feel their quarterback of the future is in this draft, they can select him. Or, they could trade the pick. John Spytek likes having more picks.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) catches the ball in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At 2-14, another lost Raiders season is nearly in the books. However, after losing for the 14th time in their past 15 games, securing the No. 1 draft pick is the only thing that can make up for a disappointing season. The Raiders finished the first half with an insurmountable lead to recover from.

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

The Bad

The Raiders rushed for yards in the first half, averaging only yards per carry. After last week's performance against the Houston Texans, in which the Raiders ran for 145 yards against one of the top run defenses in the league, the Raiders were back to their usual struggles on the ground.

Las Vegas still struggled to do much of anything on offense, only scoring three points in the first half. The Raiders' offense continued to stall. Still, the loss of Brock Bowers likely contributed to the unit's struggles, but those struggles were so great that Bowers would only have helped so much.

The Ugly

Plenty of things to choose from here. Geno Smith's interception was ugly. It looked like several of his other interceptions this season. Smith threw an interception last week that was returned for a touchdown in a two-point loss. Sunday against the Giants, his interception also led to points.

New York nearly doubled Las Vegas' total yards in the first half, as they built a double-digit lead that the Raiders are not equipped to come back from. The Raiders entered halftime down 14 points, effectively ending the game, as Las Vegas averaged just 14.5 points per game entering Week 17.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw in the first quarter against the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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