The loser between the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants will have the inside track to secure the No. 1 overall pick heading into the final week of the 2025 NFL season. While it’s in the Silver and Black’s best interest to secure the top spot, don’t expect Pete Carroll to lose on purpose.
Las Vegas need a young quarterback who can give the fanbase hope, and Indiana Hoosiers’ Fernando Mendoza would bring that to the Raiders. It’s clear that Geno Smith isn’t the answer, and having a guy like Mendoza would also attract a young, offensive-minded coach should Las Vegas move on from Carroll.
Nonetheless, on December 22, while speaking with reporters, Carroll was asked about the game against the Giants being for the No. 1 pick and shared his thoughts on how the team will perform in their final two contests, even though the fan base would prefer they tank.
“I’m not really that concerned about any of that,” Carroll told reporters. “I don’t think you want me to be. We’re going to go play and play the best we can and see what happens.”
Raiders Will Play Hard Despite Calls for Them to Tank
Las Vegas are going to play hard, which is why they nearly pulled off the upset win over the Houston Texans in Week 16. Ashton Jeanty put the Raiders’ offense on his shoulders as the team fell short, losing 23-21 to the Texans on December 21 at NRG Stadium.
Jeanty rushed for 128 yards on 24 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, and scored a touchdown on the ground. He also caught one pass for 60 yards, adding a receiving touchdown to his stat line.
Following the game, Jeanty appeared on “Raiders Postgame Live” and discussed what clicked for him and the Las Vegas offense, showing the kind of production fans hope he can sustain in 2026.
“I think we come out and practice hard every week, but I think we brought that energy today on the sideline before the game,” Jeanty said on the broadcast. “We’re all together, united. I mean, we just kept fighting no matter what. Whether it was a bad play or a mistackle, we just kept fighting and kept playing. Obviously, it didn’t end our way, but I’m extremely proud of the team for playing better against one of the better teams in the NFL.
“I think we just took advantage of the mismatches, whether it routes on the DBs, or whether it was me lining up wide on a linebacker. And then the run game, we was pounding the rock. So, we just kept taking advantage of what was working throughout the course of the game.”
Pete Carroll Praises Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty
Additionally, Carroll offered his perspective on Jeanty’s performance, even though the team ended up on the losing side.
“I think it was a beautiful day to watch Ashton,” Carroll told reporters. “You can just see what his talent is—so obvious to me and, I’m sure, everybody that’s really watching him.
“He’s just really hard to tackle, and these guys just fall off him, and he just keeps striding on past one, but on the run, too. Same situation. He’s done it a number of times. It was great to see him have that much space to do his thing. I give a lot of credit to the guys up front for getting that done.”
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