Giants vs. Raiders in Week 17: A Battle for the Bottom with Massive Draft Stakes
When the NFL put Giants-Raiders on the Week 17 slate, no one expected it to carry this kind of weight. But here we are - two 2-13 teams, both limping toward the finish line, squaring off in a game that could shape the top of the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s not exactly a playoff preview, but in its own way, it’s just as pivotal.
Let’s set the table. The Giants and Raiders are tied with the worst record in the league, and the loser of Sunday’s matchup will fall to 2-14 - putting them in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall pick. That’s the kind of positioning that can change a franchise’s trajectory, especially with a quarterback-heavy draft looming.
Now, it’s not a lock that the loser secures the top pick. There’s still Week 18 to play, and if either team pulls off a win in the finale, things get murky. The NFL uses strength of schedule as the tiebreaker when teams finish with the same record, and that’s where things get interesting.
Right now, the Giants have faced a slightly weaker schedule than the Raiders. That gives them the edge in the tiebreaker - meaning if both teams finish 3-14, New York would likely pick first.
But there’s a wildcard in play: the 3-12 Browns. Cleveland has the weakest schedule of the trio.
If the Browns lose out and both the Giants and Raiders finish 3-14 as well, the Browns could sneak into that top spot.
So yes, Sunday’s game is more than just two struggling teams trying to end the season with a little pride. It’s a high-stakes showdown for draft positioning - a reverse playoff, if you will.
And hovering over all of this is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumed top prospect in the 2026 draft class. He’s got a College Football Playoff game against Alabama on New Year’s Day, but you’d have to think he’ll at least be keeping one eye on this game. The outcome could decide who gets the first shot at building their future around him.
So while it might not be a clash of titans, Giants-Raiders in Week 17 carries real weight. For these two franchises, the road back to relevance might just begin with a loss this Sunday.