Giants, Raiders take NFL's worst records into matchup
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Audio By Carbonatix
5:18 PM on Thursday, December 25
By The Associated Press
New York Giants (2-13) at Las Vegas (2-13)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Raiders by 1½.
Against the spread: Giants 6-8-1, Raiders 6-9.
Series record: Raiders lead 9-6.
Last meeting: Raiders beat Giants 30-6 on Nov. 5, 2023, at Las Vegas.
Last week: Giants lost to the Vikings 16-13; Raiders lost to the Texans 23-21.
Giants offense: overall (17), rush (7), pass (20), scoring (23).
Giants defense: overall (29), rush (31), pass (20), scoring (28).
Raiders offense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (29), scoring (32).
Raiders defense: overall (15), rush (17), pass (17), scoring (25).
Turnover differential: Giants minus-5; Raiders minus-5.
LB Brian Burns has been their best player all season, and he’s the key to the pass rush making an impact, even with Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve. Burns has a career-high 15 sacks, second in the NFL to only record-chasing Myles Garrett, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
QB Geno Smith. He is tied for the league high in interceptions with 15, but over the past eight games has five picks to go with 13 touchdown passes. If he produces similar numbers over the final two games, the Raiders have a good chance to win both weeks.
Giants offensive line vs. Raiders defensive front. New York's line has struggled recently because of injuries and absences to protect QB Jaxson Dart. Maxx Crosby and the Raiders defensive front is capable of disrupting opposing offenses, and the game's outcome could be decided on how well the Giants block those defenders to give Dart time to throw as well as establish an effective running game.
Giants: LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), C John Michael Schmitz (hand) and CB Cor’Dale Flott all are uncertain to play after getting hurt last weekend. … EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux is out for the rest of the season after going on IR because of a lingering shoulder issue.
Raiders: DE Maxx Crosby (knee) will not play. ... LT Kolton Miller (ankle) is practicing again this week, but again will not play. ... TE Brock Bowers (knee) and S Jeremy Chinn (back) were placed on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday.
The teams have alternated winning the past four matchups. ... This is the Giants' second trip to Las Vegas in three years. The Raiders won the previous meeting. ... Be it Las Vegas, Oakland or Los Angeles, the Raiders are 6-2 at home in this series.
The Giants and Raiders have each lost nine in a row. … 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. ... New York is 0-5 since Mike Kafka took over as interim coach following the firing of Brian Daboll. ... Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart was 7 of 13 for 33 yards in the loss to Minnesota. All are his lowest totals among his first 10 starts in the league. His interception went off the hands of Theo Johnson. … Dart was sacked five times, which made the team’s net yards passing just 13. … Dart has thrown for three touchdowns and been picked off twice in three games since returning from concussion protocol. … WR Wan’Dale Robinson is 99 yards away from reaching 1,000 in a season for the first time in his four-year pro career. … DT Dexter Lawrence had one tackle for loss and two penalties on 52 snaps against the Vikings. … Rookie LB Abdul Carter’s offside penalty last week negated what would have been a 96-yard pick-6 by Jevon Holland. … The 16 points Minnesota scored were the fewest the Giants have allowed this season, and the defense produced their only touchdown on Burns' strip-sack of J.J. McCarthy that Tyler Nubin returned 27 yards to the end zone. ... The Raiders have a point differential of minus-169, worst in the NFL. ... DE Maxx Crosby's five straight Pro Bowl selections is second in Raiders history to P Ray Guy's six in a row. ... RB Ashton Jeanty is one of five rookies with at least five rushing and five receiving touchdowns and just the second since 1965. ... Las Vegas has committed 35 offensive penalties, second fewest in the league. The Los Angeles Chargers have committed 30. ... The Raiders have held opponents to zero or negative yards on 93 rushing plays, best in the league. Brock Bowers has 176 receptions, the highest number for any tight end through his first 29 games. His 1,874 yards receiving are third, behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Ditka (1,992) and Kellen Winslow (1,920). ... A victory would give Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll 173 for his career, which would move him into a tie for 16th with Jeff Fisher. Carroll is currently tied with Bill Parcells.
RB Ashton Jeanty is coming off the best game of his rookie season with 128 yards rushing, a 51-yard touchdown run and 60-yard TD catch. Given the Giants' defense is second to last against the run, this may be an opportunity for him to build on that performance.
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