An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Raiders NFL Week 17 matchup at Allegiant Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Raiders LB Devin White vs. Giants RBs Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary
The Raiders are not bad against the run — 17th in the league, allowing 116.5 yards per game — and White is something of a tackle machine. He has 160 of them, behind just Jordyn Brooks of the Dolphins (169 tackles) and Jack Campbell of the Lions (165). White, a former Pro Bowler with the Buccaneers, is not having a great season, though. He grades out 79th among 86 linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, too often making his stops too far off the line of scrimmage.
The Giants have evolved into a run-first team, with Tracy and Singletary combining for 27 carries last week.
4 downs
For Pete’s sake: It was easy to see why the Raiders were attracted to Pete Carroll. He is one of just three head coaches to win a national championship in college (USC) and a Super Bowl (Seahawks). Yes, Carroll at 74 is the oldest head coach in the NFL — Andy Reid, 67, is next in line — but Carroll always has a youthful glow to him. It has not worked out. The Raiders have two wins and Carroll could be in a one-and-done scenario, except there are reports that he still has $30 million coming to him, and he might have no interest in any sort of negotiations to lower that money total to allow the Raiders to part ways with him. So, it remains to be seen if the Raiders will join the Giants and Titans — with more teams to come, for sure — in a coaching search.
’Tis the season: Injuries happen and players are scratched every week, but it sure seems as if these depletions are more frequent when teams are already eliminated from the playoffs. Whether it is the player deciding to shut it down or the team thinking more about the future, bad teams often struggle to keep their starters on the field down the stretch. The Raiders this week put two of their best players, tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremy Chinn, on injured reserve. The Giants are not rushing back left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) or center John Michael Schmitz (finger). So it goes.
What’s the point? Determining the worst team in the league starts with the won-loss record, and the Giants and Raiders are at the bottom of the heap, both at 2-13. There is a difference in those crummy records, though. The Giants’ point differential is minus-99. That is “better” than three teams with 3-12 records: the Titans (minus-152), Jets (minus-144) and Browns (minus-109). The Raiders are dead last in this, at minus-169. The Giants almost never win, but they lose closer than these other dregs.
Mr. Burns: Back in the summer, teammates noticed how Brian Burns was running to the ball on every snap in training camp. How he did not take a single rep off in drills. It was as if Burns was trying to impress the coaching staff in order to make the final roster. That rededication to his craft has led to 15 sacks and the finest season of his seven-year NFL career. “I think everything that he’s done hasn’t shocked anybody in the building,” cornerback Paulson Adebo said. “You kind of expect him to have a big year, and he’s done exactly that.”
Paul’s pick
Those who follow the Giants every week understand their attraction with losing. Those who follow the Raiders know the same about their team. Ineptitude is the eyes of the beholder with this titanic matchup. The betting line has flipped, with the Giants going from underdog to a slight favorite. They are probably the better team, but, whatever.
Raiders 20, Giants 17
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
