By MARK ANDERSON
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders moved into position to snag the top pick in next year’s draft after losing 34-10 to Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants on Sunday in a matchup of teams with the NFL’s two worst records.
Las Vegas (2-14) will secure the top pick with a loss next week to Kansas City. The Raiders’ skid reached 10 games, which matches last season’s streak for fifth-longest in franchise history.
The Giants (3-13), who snapped a nine-game losing streak, could still wind up with the top pick if they lose to Dallas next weekend and the Raiders beat the Chiefs. Interim coach Mike Kafka got his first win after losing his first five, and the Giants had their largest margin of victory since defeating Indianapolis 38-10 in Week 17 of the 2022 season.
Dart, taken by the Giants with the No. 25 pick in the 2025 draft, showed his dual-threat ability by passing for 207 yards and rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
Wan’Dale Robinson caught 11 passes for 113 yards to become the first player 5-foot-8 or shorter to reach the 1,000-yard mark since 5-7 Richard Johnson in 1989. Robinson also is just the third since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, according to Sportradar.
Linebacker Brian Burns recorded 1 1/2 sacks, giving him a career-high 16 1/2 for the season.
Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, again booed in pregame introductions, passed for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before leaving early in the fourth quarter with an injured right ankle. Smith has a league-high 17 picks. Kenny Pickett replaced him and completed both passes for 16 yards.
Smith’s interception in the first quarter set the tone, a red-zone pick by linebacker Bobby Okereke that was returned 48 yards to set up a Giants touchdown and 7-0 lead. That was just New York’s seventh interception this season.
The rebuilding Raiders were without a number of notable players, giving embattled coach Pete Carroll nearly a shell of a lineup. Las Vegas went from a 1 1/2-point favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook to a 3-point underdog after defensive end Maxx Crosby (knee), tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and safety Jeremy Chinn (back) were placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Crosby, one of the league’s top pass rushers, initially was sidelined just for this game. That decision so upset him that he left the Raiders’ facility on Friday. He told reporters earlier in the week that trying to win was more important than securing the top draft pick.
But now the Raiders could be in position to draft a potentially franchise-changing quarterback and end more than two decades of playoff futility.
The Giants have their own issues, but hope Dart is worth rebuilding around. The person who coaches Dart next season is a major question.
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.
Injuries
Giants: CB Cor’Dale Flott (knee) did not play. … S Jevón Holland (knee) was injured in the third quarter.
Raiders: WR Jack Bech (back), RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee) and G Dylan Parham (illness) did not play. … DT Adam Butler (bicep) was injured in the second quarter. … G Dylan Parham (illness) left in the first half.