The New York Giants snapped their nine-game losing streak on Sunday with their 34-10 win over the hapless Las Vegas Raiders. The Giants controlled the game from the jump. They played complementary football, averaging 5.4 yards per offensive play with two defensive takeaways, and a special teams’ touchdown to boot – it must be snowing!
Mike Kafka secured his first victory as interim head coach, and Jaxson Dart won his first road game. This has now effectively dropped the Giants to the second overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If New York loses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Raiders lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, then the Giants get the pick, but something tells me Las Vegas won’t be overly eager to win in Week 18. Anyway, here are the grades from the Giants’ dominant win.
Quarterback
Jaxson Dart wasn’t asked to do a ton against the Raiders, but he operated the offense well and used his legs effectively. Dart finished 22 of 30 with 207 passing yards and 48 yards on the ground with two rushing scores. He connected often with Wan’Dale Robinson, whom Dart targeted 14 times in the game. Overall, it was a solid bounce-back for the rookie after last week’s 33 yard disaster. Also, Jameis Winston and Jamal Adams got into it on the sideline after the former Jet had a run-in with a Giants’ coach, which was entertaining.
Grade: B+
Running Back
The Giants were able to establish the run well against the Las Vegas Raiders. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 14 carries for 62 yards and Devin Singletary had 45 yards on eight carries with one rushing and one receiving touchdown. Singletary added 25 yards on four catches. The backs were finding holes and following blocks and the Giants, with Dart’s rush included, averaged five yards per carry and totaled 155 rushing yards.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver
It was another epic game for Robinson, who was the catalyst for the Giants’ offense in the first-half, where he secured nine passes for 97 yards on 10 targets. Robinson finished the game with 11 catches for 113 yards on 14 targets, pushing him north of the 1,000-yard mark on the season. Robinson was the only receiver to have a massive impact. Darius Slayton caught secure two of three passes for 26 yards. Gunner Olszewski added one catch for 19 yards and Isaiah Hodgins one for 8 yards.
Grade: B+
Tight End
The Giants were without Theo Johnson, giving Daniel Bellinger a full-time role. Bellinger caught two passes for 11 yards and had one drop off a massive hit over the middle of the field in the first quarter. Both Bellinger and Chris Manhertz blocked well in the Giants’ 12 personnel package, which allowed the team to move the football.
Grade: B-
Offensive Line
The Giants were down Andrew Thomas and John Michael Schmitz in this triage bowl. Starting right tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor did have two false start penalties that helped stifle what was a promising opening drive by the Giants’ offense. The Giants had several backups playing (Marcus Mbow at LT; Austin Scholottmann at center) but the line was still respectable against this Raiders squad. Dart was sacked twice but neither was necessarily a poor reflection on the Giants front.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
The Giants were creating quality pressure up front with their defensive linemen. Dexter Lawrence was wreaking havoc and Darius Alexander sacked Geno Smith, and had a few other quality run stops. Roy Robertson-Harris continues to be a quality defensive player up front, as he made plays down the line of scrimmage. The defense stifled rookie star Ashton Jeanty and held the Raiders to just 63 yards on the ground (3.2 yards per carry). The defensive line impacted both the run and the pass.
Grade: A
Edge
Brian Burns added another sack and a half to his total, and Abdul Carter was everywhere. Carter split one of Burns’ sacks and his presence continues to be felt – he responded very well to his public criticisms over the last few weeks. Chauncey Golsten provided good depth snaps and a big body on the edge. The edge room continues to be a bright sport for the Giants.
Grade: A
Linebacker
Bobby Okereke intercepted Geno Smith on the Raiders’ second drive, which led to the first points of the game – a Devin Singletary touchdown rush. Darius Muasau bit up on the Tyler Lockett touchdown, but executed his run fits well, as did Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Okereke finished the game tied with a team-high seven tackles and Flannigan-Fowles had six.
Grade: B+
Cornerback
Tae Banks started with Cor’Dale Flott out. Banks had some tackles and lost on some routes, including the touchdown to Tyler Lockett, albeit Muasau did bite to the shallow side of his middle hook responsibility once Geno Smith stepped up in the pocket. We didn’t see much of Paulson Adebo other than his quality pass rep against Shedrick Jackson on the play prior to Dane Belton’s interception.
Rico Payton and Art Green did solid in coverage from what we saw. Payton did take a 15-yard illegal blindside block penalty on Belton’s interception return. Geno Smith could not find many openings against Charlie Bullen’s defense and the pressure was dialed up.
Grade: B
Safety
Jevon Holland suffered an injury on the second-half opening kickoff and the Giants were without Tyler Nubin in the game; this led to ample opportunity for Dane Belton and Raheem Layne. Belton baited Smith into an interception late in the fourth quarter that gave the Giants the football with a 17-point lead and just 12:29 left in the game. Belton is entering a contract year and he had seven tackles in the game, while holding down the fort. Layne hits hard – that was perceived, but I reserve my full judgment until the film drops.
Grade: A
Special Teams
Banks built on his season-long solid return skills with a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter. It was a massive play for the young cornerback, who seems to have found a home as a returner. Giants’ special teams’ player Rico Payton, blocked Chigozie Anusiem into the Giants’ bench so far that the Raiders’ player tackled him out of bounds and a skirmish ensued. The refs missed it and no one was penalized.
Grade: A+
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