The Las Vegas Raiders’ turbulent 2025 NFL season took another rough turn on December 28, as the Silver and Black fell 34-10 to the New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium. The defeat not only stretched the Raiders’ losing streak to a staggering 10 games but also nudged them even closer to clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—a bittersweet silver lining for a franchise desperate for a reset.
On a day when the offense sputtered and the roster looked depleted, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty emerged as one of the few bright spots. Jeanty, who has been steadily carving out a role despite the team’s struggles, finished the game with 16 carries for 60 yards and added two receptions for 13 yards. His total of 73 scrimmage yards was hard-fought, especially considering the Giants’ defense has been among the league’s most generous to running backs this season. Jeanty’s most electrifying moments came late, with second-half runs of 24 and 14 yards, including that 24-yarder with just four minutes left while the Raiders trailed by three scores. It wasn’t enough to ignite a comeback, but it did give fans something to cheer about in an otherwise bleak afternoon.
“It’s been a terrible season for us,” Jeanty admitted to reporters after the game, according to Hondo Carpenter of On SI. “I’m going to be working doing everything I can to get better [and] be able to lead this team better next year, just come back way better… We’ll see what happens, but I’m always going to have faith that things get better.” The rookie’s optimism is a welcome contrast to the somber mood that’s settled over the Raiders’ locker room. With 240 carries for 888 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through 16 games, Jeanty is now just 112 yards shy of the coveted 1,000-yard mark—a notable milestone for any rookie running back, especially one playing behind a battered offensive line.
Jeanty’s performance was even more impressive considering the circumstances. The Raiders went into the game missing several key contributors, including tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver Jack Bech, left tackle Kolton Miller, and center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Without these weapons, the offense was hamstrung from the start, managing only 60 total rushing yards—a far cry from their Week 16 output against the Houston Texans. The lack of depth and experience was evident, and the Giants took full advantage, stifling the Raiders’ attack and capitalizing on turnovers.
The Raiders’ struggles on offense have been a recurring theme throughout the 2025 campaign. General Manager John Spytek’s first draft class was supposed to inject new life into the roster, but injuries and inconsistent play have kept many of the rookies on the sidelines. By the time the team started leaning on its younger players, the season was already lost. The absence of Bowers and Bech in Week 17 only underscored the need for a major overhaul in the offseason—a fact not lost on fans or the front office.
While Jeanty’s emergence offers hope for the future, the present remains clouded by uncertainty. There was speculation leading up to the Giants game that the Raiders might rest Jeanty to protect him from injury and, perhaps, to improve their draft position. After all, the team had already shut down star defensive end Maxx Crosby and Bowers for the season due to knee injuries. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jeanty was officially active and healthy for Week 17, putting any tanking rumors to rest—at least for now.
Jeanty’s Week 16 performance—128 rushing yards, 60 receiving yards, and two touchdowns—had raised expectations for another big outing against a Giants defense ranked near the bottom in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Instead, the rookie found little room to run, with the offensive line struggling to open holes and the passing game unable to keep the defense honest. Still, Jeanty’s late-game bursts and his impressive 11-yard catch on third down showcased the talent that made him a draft-day steal.
Meanwhile, the situation with Maxx Crosby has added another layer of drama to the Raiders’ season. Crosby, the heart and soul of the defense, was visibly frustrated by the team’s decision to shut him down for the final two games. “I’ve been on the phone with Maxx a bunch over the last couple of days and he’s not happy,” FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported on “FOX NFL Sunday.” “He was like, ‘Jay, I play football. This is what I do. I’ve had a knee injury since Week 3 that I’ve played with the entire time. They told me they were shutting me down, I was like, no, absolutely not. I play football. There’s no shutting it down for me. I want to be out there. I want to be out there with my teammates.’ It just wasn’t acceptable to Maxx.”
Crosby’s competitive fire is undeniable, but the team’s medical staff and head coach Pete Carroll made the call to prioritize his long-term health. Crosby will return to the Raiders’ facility on December 29, but his future with the team is suddenly less certain. Glazer added, “Remember, at the trade deadline, I said that Maxx Crosby told me that he [didn’t] want to go anywhere. He told the team he doesn’t want to get traded anywhere else. I don’t know if that’s still the case. I think there’s some massaging that still has to happen.” The prospect of a Crosby trade would send shockwaves through Raider Nation, but for now, he remains committed to the team.
As the Raiders prepare for their season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 5, 2026, all eyes are on the future. With the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft within reach and plenty of cap space to spend in free agency, the franchise is poised for a transformative offseason. The final game of the season will be less about the result and more about evaluating young talent and setting the stage for a much-needed rebuild.
For Ashton Jeanty, Week 18 offers one last chance to hit the 1,000-yard milestone and end his rookie campaign on a high note. For the Raiders as a whole, it’s another opportunity to show some fight before turning the page on a season that can’t end soon enough. With change looming and hope on the horizon, Raider Nation will be watching closely to see who steps up—and who might be gone—when the dust settles.