Las Vegas Raiders made a splash this week by placing its two and only stars on injured reserve ahead of the final two games that will determine the order of the 2026 NFL Draft. Tight end Brock Bowers and edge rusher Maxx Crosby were ruled out of the ensuing top-pick battle against the Giants and the Week 18 game against Kansas City with nagging knee injuries. Over the last five weeks, Bowers has thrown four touchdown passes for a team that doesn't score many points. Crosby is a wrecking ball man who has 28 tackles for loss this season. He is a player who makes opponents lose sleep. Both Bowers and Crosby were recently named to the Pro Bowl despite their devastating injuries. Bowers walked away quietly. Crosby didn't.
An angry Crosby left the Raiders' facility Friday. The next day he sent a message to the organization by posting a video of him playing basketball with his young daughter. He didn't look particularly injured.
Earlier this week, when reporters asked Crosby about the stakes in the upcoming battle between the 2-14 Raiders and 2-14 Giants, his answer came as no surprise.
“I don’t care about the selection, that’s not what I play for,” Crosby said. “That's not my job. My job is to be the best defender in the world, and that's what I focus on every day. And to be a great leader and make an impact and constantly be that guy for my team.”
Crosby didn't care that the game was a joke in the football zeitgeist, with some calling it “Toilet Bowl” or “Tank Tank”. He just wanted to do Maxx Crosby stuff.
There is no official way to confirm whether the Raiders are trying to tank. The Crosby saga doesn't help the organization's cause. Although that doesn't mean Crosby is the only competition. Pete Carroll, 74, isn't here to secure the Raiders' future. These are professional football players. Crosby may want it more than anyone, but they want it too. Even journeyman Geno Smith seems to want to win.
All of the Raiders' wins in the embarrassing 34-10 loss to the Giants are pole position in the standings. NFL Draft. For many, this is an exciting victory. But going into Allegiant Stadium without Crosby and Bowers and leaving with a top draft pick only added fuel to the tank conspiracy theorists' fire.
The offensive line was terrible. The special teams were terrible and seemed to be asleep during the Giants' 95-yard kickoff return that pretty much decided the game for New York. Geno Smith was terrible, throwing two interceptions. The defense was terrible, or depending on whether you had a glass full, the Giants' running game was efficient and carried by potential franchise quarterback Jackson Dart.
The Raiders and Giants weren't like teams with the same record playing with the same intensity. Simply put, the Raiders were overcoached and outplayed.
Perhaps Crosby's presence would help a little. A defensive leader who plays with a unique level of heart is certainly a great addition.
But the problem with the Raiders and the whole tank theory is that the team and organization are terrible. Even with Crosby and Bowers, this team won two games. Two. They currently have a 10-game losing streak. It is impossible to win a football game if there is one elite player on both sides of the ball. What about the other ten players? In true Raiders fashion, the only offensive player vying for elite status plays the same position as Bowers: Michael Mayer.
There's so little to get excited about in this version of the Raiders. Carroll's training was boring. Knowing he has a backup to Ben Johnson that minority owner Tom Brady failed to provide is even more frustrating. Firing Chip Kelly did not contribute to the crime. Despite his talent and obvious upside, drafting Ashton Ginty in the first round when the rest of your roster is so devoid of talent only added to the pile of problems.
And now the Raiders have fired up the beast that is Crosby. Quality organizations have these discussions confidentially and somehow present a united front with their star player.
Since the inept Raiders failed to do so, no one would be surprised if Crosby demands a trade this offseason. Then Edge Rusher will be another hole this team needs.
Tank or horror? Does it matter?
MVP of the week
Yes, the Pats faced the hapless Jets. Yes, the Jets defense is historically bad (still zero picks on the season). But the Jets are technically still a professional football team playing at home, and the Pats had some business to deal with. Clinch the AFC East with a win and a loss to the Bills. Stay in contention for the top spot in the AFC. Check it out and check it out, thanks to Drake May's unusual day.
May led the Pats' offensive onslaught, throwing for 256 yards and five touchdowns to five different receivers while completing 90% of his passes. One such completed passage was master class on mohin Stefon Diggs, who also had a sensational day and helped May set an NFL record. He became the first player in NFL history to rush for 250 yards and posted a 90% completion rate while throwing for five touchdowns. May also passed 4,000 passing yards on the season and went undefeated on the road. Beautiful deep balls, veins of ice, insightful decision-making, just 23 years old. This may just be the beginning of another Patriots dynasty. But are you hearing those MVP chants now?
Video of the week
The Buffaloes were on the verge of losing until they were on the verge of winning (or at least tying).
The Eagles pulled their usual Jekyll and Hyde trick, jumping out to a 13-0 lead in the first half and then stalling in the second. Philadelphia's defense dominated early in the game, forcing a first-half error that resulted in a Jalen Hurts touchdown. They also stopped Josh Allen on fourth-and-goal early in the second. But the Bills snuck back into the second with the game's top drive within one on a Josh Allen push. Yes, the same push that bills voted to ban last offseason. Even though the Bills had momentum on both sides of the ball—Jalen Hurts didn't complete a pass in the second half—Sean McDermott decided to throw a pass for two. Vic Fangio's defense applied pressure, forcing Allen into an errant throw and an incompletion. the Eagles won 13–12, clinching the AFC East for the Patriots.
Statistics of the week
The Steelers have been winless in Cleveland since 2003 without Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback.
Add Aaron Rodgers to the list. The Browns got off to a quick 10-0 start thanks to Sheader Sanders' fumbled pass caught by Harold Fannin, who surprisingly made no attempt to track the defender. Rodgers, under pressure all day, struggled to mount an offense in a 13-6 loss that could have clinched the AFC North for the Steelers.
The Steelers had plenty of chances in the fourth quarter, but failed to score on five straight attempts (including a missed field goal after 8:07). Rodgers clearly missed the suspended DK Metcalf. On the Steelers' main drive, Marquez Valdes-Scantling failed to complete three straight throws into the end zone on 2nd and score from the 7-yard line.
Sanders was sensational at times, proving once again that some Nepo babies belongalthough he needs to work on eliminating his bouts of despair. Myles Garrett didn't break the sack record, although he was involved in 41% of his pass rush attempts, according to NextGen States.
Pittsburgh's loss means new hope for the Baltimore Ravens, who destroyed the Packers 41-24 behind Derrick Henry's 216-yard, four-touchdown rush.
The NFL got its wish: a Week 18 Ravens-Steelers division battle.
Elsewhere in the league
Carolina vs. Seattle was a classic defensive struggle for at least half of the game. The teams went into the break tied 3-3 before the Seahawks opened the game by taking advantage of two straight Panthers turnovers. Seattle's punishing defense, led by DeMarcus Lawrence, who forced and recovered a key fumble, stifled Carolina, which failed to make a single play of more than 11 yards all day.
The result was a decisive 24–10 road win that keeps Seattle atop the NFC race for the No. 1 seed. The Seahawks head to San Francisco next week, where the winner will receive the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, the Panthers head to Tampa Bay in Week 18 with the NFC South title on the line. Win and they're in the postseason. Lose and the season is over.
The Houston Texans still look like a team no one wants to face in January. After starting 0–3, Houston has now won eight games in a row and clinched a playoff berth with a commanding 20–16 road win over the Chargers. The league's top defense set the tone again, allowing Justin Herbert to make 38% of his dropbacks and recording five sacks.
C.J. Stroud and the offense started out fast with two deep touchdowns before falling into contention again, but three crucial first downs on the final possession – aided by defensive penalties – sealed the win. As has happened so often in this series, the defense owned the game ball.
It was another celebration in the locker room in Jacksonville after the Jaguars beat the Colts 23-17 in an ugly but compelling contest. The Jags relied on Trevor Lawrence's toughness and legs in the red zone to pull it off, winning their 12th game of the season, a mark they hadn't reached in 20 years. One more win will secure the AFC South title, and on current form, Jacksonville looks like another playoff contender to avoid.
Elsewhere, it appears the cheese grater hat is no longer the exclusive property of the Chicago Bears. A week after DJ Moore wore it to celebrate a win over Green Bay, several Ravens players followed suit by trolling the Packers after their own dominant win. It's been a memorable holiday season for Foam Party Hats, the unlikely beneficiaries of NFL pettiness.
