Week 17 2-13 The stakes are very high for the Las Vegas Raiders. They will face the New York Giants on Sunday. The Giants and Raiders currently rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the live 2026 NFL Draft. The loser will almost certainly finish first at the April celebrations.
Both organizations will face charges this weekend of trying to lose games on purpose. Accident or not, the Raiders were on fire Wednesday. Superstar tight end Brock Bowers was placed on IR late in the season. So does starting safety Jeremy Chinn. The Raiders don’t exactly prioritize winning on Sunday.
It’s worth acknowledging that coaches and players don’t lose games, but it’s in the management’s best interest to lose. The Raiders have no choice but to position themselves in the draft. Bowles is hampered by a knee injury, while Chin is dealing with back issues. Bowles and Chinn appear capable of overcoming their ongoing ailments, but the Raiders have no reason to risk further damage to two key players.
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So while the Raiders don’t “tank,” they don’t exactly prioritize winning either. They choose health over competitiveness. Whichever team is slightly less capable will win Sunday’s game and exit the race for the No. 1 draft pick.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders don’t seem to be prioritizing a Week 17 win
