The Las Vegas Raiders losing to the New York Giants on Sunday was not just another frustrating entry in a lost season. It was the final confirmation of what this year had become, a roster stretched thin, an offense unable to protect itself, and a franchise staring straight at the top of the NFL Draft board.
With the loss, the Raiders officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. That reality comes with mixed emotions for the fanbase. Nobody celebrates losing, especially not in silver and black. But if there was ever a season where bottoming out made brutal sense, this was it.
Sunday’s game against the Giants did not just end the season. It summarized it.
A broken offensive line. Forced throws. Interceptions piling up. Key stars sitting out. And a team that simply could not sustain offense when it mattered.
This was not a fluke loss. It was the logical conclusion of months of dysfunction.
An Offensive Line That Failed the Offense All Season
Start up front. Everything begins and ends with the offensive line, and the Raiders’ unit never stabilized at any point this year.
Protection issues showed up early in the season and never went away.
Missed assignments, free rushers, collapsing pockets. It did not matter who was under center, the result was the same.
Quarterbacks were forced to rush decisions, throw off their back foot, or eat sacks on critical downs.
Against the Giants, those issues were magnified. New York did not need exotic blitz packages to generate pressure. Straight four man rushes were enough to break the pocket and disrupt timing. When a defense can get pressure without committing extra bodies, the entire offensive structure collapses.
The Raiders could not establish consistent pass protection, which made play action ineffective and eliminated any real downfield rhythm. Drives stalled before they started, and long yardage situations became the norm.
It is impossible to fairly evaluate any quarterback in that environment. Protection breakdowns do not just create sacks, they create panic, rushed reads, and turnovers.
Which brings us to the interceptions.
Interceptions Were a Symptom, Not the Disease
The interception total tells one story. The film tells another.
Yes, the turnovers hurt. Yes, they swung momentum. But many of those interceptions came from quarterbacks being forced into low percentage throws because the offense was constantly behind schedule.
Third and long. Obvious passing situations. Collapsing pockets.
That is how mistakes compound.
Receivers struggled to separate quickly enough, routes did not have time to develop, and quarterbacks were left making desperation decisions. That is not an excuse, it is context. When an offense cannot run, cannot protect, and cannot stay ahead of the chains, turnovers are inevitable.
Against the Giants, the Raiders rarely dictated tempo. They reacted. And reacting in the NFL almost always ends badly.
Missing Leaders Changed the Entire Dynamic
The absence of Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers mattered more than the box score shows.
Crosby sitting out removed the emotional engine of the defense. His presence alone changes how opposing offenses call plays. Without him, the Raiders lost their most consistent source of pressure, urgency, and edge setting. The defense competed, but the tone was different.
Bowers missing time on offense removed the one player defenses genuinely feared in space. His ability to stretch the field horizontally and vertically has been one of the few bright spots all season. Without him, the Giants could compress coverage, crowd short routes, and dare the Raiders to beat them outside.
They could not.
Even with an impressive performance from TE Michael Mayer, the team simply could not put up more points on the board.
When your best defensive player and most dynamic offensive weapon are not on the field, margins disappear. For a team already struggling, that was the final blow.
A Season That Quietly Shifted Toward the Draft
Let’s be honest. By the time Sunday arrived, this season was not about wins anymore.
It was about evaluation. About seeing who belongs in the next era and who does not. About understanding just how far away this roster really is from competing in the AFC.
Securing the No. 1 pick changes everything.
It gives the Raiders control. Control of the board. Control of their future at quarterback. Control of trade leverage. Control of the rebuild timeline.
Whether that pick is used on a franchise quarterback or flipped for a massive haul, it represents clarity, something this franchise has lacked for years.
The loss to the Giants did not cause the Raiders to land here. It simply finalized it.
Where the Raiders Go From Here
The offseason conversation now begins in earnest.
Quarterback decisions will dominate headlines, but they should not overshadow the real foundation issues. The offensive line must be addressed aggressively. No rookie quarterback succeeds behind a broken front. No system thrives without protection.
The Raiders need answers at multiple positions, but the blueprint is clear.
Build the line.
Stabilize the quarterback room.
Add speed and separation on the perimeter.
Reestablish a defensive identity anchored by Crosby’s return.
This is not a quick fix, but it is finally a clean slate.
The loss to the Giants hurt in the moment, but it closed the door on a season that needed to end. What comes next matters far more.
For the first time in a long time, the Raiders are not guessing.
They are drafting first.
