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12/28 18:07 CST Raiders in position for top draft pick after 34-10 loss to
Giants
Raiders in position for top draft pick after 34-10 loss to Giants
By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) --- The Las Vegas Raiders moved into position to snag the top
pick in next year's draft after losing 34-10 to Jaxson Dart and the New York
Giants on Sunday in a matchup of teams with the NFL's two worst records.
Las Vegas (2-14) will secure the top pick with a loss next week to Kansas City.
The Raiders' skid reached 10 games, which matches last season's streak for
fifth-longest in franchise history.
The Giants (3-13), who snapped a nine-game losing streak, could still wind up
with the top pick if they lose to Dallas next weekend and the Raiders beat the
Chiefs. Interim coach Mike Kafka got his first win after losing his first five,
and the Giants had their largest margin of victory since defeating Indianapolis
38-10 in Week 17 of the 2022 season.
Dart, taken by the Giants with the No. 25 pick in the 2025 draft, showed his
dual-threat ability by passing for 207 yards and rushing for 48 yards and two
touchdowns.
Wan'Dale Robinson caught 11 passes for 113 yards to become the first player
5-foot-8 or shorter to reach the 1,000-yard mark since 5-7 Richard Johnson in
1989. Robinson also is just the third since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, according
to Sportradar.
Linebacker Brian Burns recorded 1 1/2 sacks, giving him a career-high 16 1/2
for the season.
Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, again booed in pregame introductions, passed
for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before leaving early in
the fourth quarter with an injured right ankle. Smith has a league-high 17
picks. Kenny Pickett replaced him and completed both passes for 16 yards.
Smith's interception in the first quarter set the tone, a red-zone pick by
linebacker Bobby Okereke that was returned 48 yards to set up a Giants
touchdown and 7-0 lead. That was just New York's seventh interception this
season.
The rebuilding Raiders were without a number of notable players, giving
embattled coach Pete Carroll nearly a shell of a lineup. Las Vegas went from a
1 1/2-point favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook to a 3-point underdog after defensive
end Maxx Crosby (knee), tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and safety Jeremy Chinn
(back) were placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Crosby, one of the league's top pass rushers, initially was sidelined just for
this game. That decision so upset him that he left the Raiders' facility on
Friday. He told reporters earlier in the week that trying to win was more
important than securing the top draft pick.
But now the Raiders could be in position to draft a potentially
franchise-changing quarterback and end more than two decades of playoff
futility.
The Giants have their own issues, but hope Dart is worth rebuilding around. The
person who coaches Dart next season is a major question.
This is the fourth time the teams with the two outright worst records have met
in the final two weeks, according to Sportradar. The previous time occurred in
1981 between the 1-14 Baltimore Colts and 2-13 New England Patriots.
Injuries Giants: CB Cor'Dale Flott (knee) did not play. ... S Jevn Holland (knee) was injured in the third quarter. Raiders: WR Jack Bech (back), RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee) and G Dylan Parham (illness) did not play. ... DT Adam Butler (bicep) was injured in the second quarter. ... G Dylan Parham (illness) left in the first half. Up next Giants: Host Dallas next weekend. Raiders: Host Kansas City next weekend. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL |
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