While it may have come at a price, the New York Giants finally put their nine-game losing streak behind them.
The Giants snapped their 13-game road losing streak dating back to last year as they handled the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-10, to pick up just their third victory of the season. Even though New York may have jeopardized their chances of clinching the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, the G-Men seemed to be firing on all cylinders (even though the Raiders may have been actively tanking).
This win for Big Blue also marked a nice first for interim head coach Mike Kafka, who finally got his first win as an NFL head coach after losing his first five games at the helm. You would think that he was deserving of the game ball after his first win... but it turns out, there were several deserving parties.
Game balls were flying around after the NY Giants win over the Raiders
Following Sunday's win over Las Vegas, wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson said Kafka wasn't the only one who was given a game ball after his first win. The other recipients of the honor, along with Robinson, were linebacker Bobby Okerke, pass rusher Brian Burns, and safety Dane Belton.
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Those four studs strung together great efforts for the Giants in Sin City. Robinson had 11 catches for 113 yards, which put him over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Okereke picked off Geno Smith in the red zone and took it back for 48 yards. Burns recorded 1.5 sacks, giving him 16.5 for the year. Belton also had an interception, which essentially iced the game.
Sure, this win may not have meant much of anything and probably hurt the Giants' chances at that elusive first pick, but for Kafka and company, this win was everything for them, and it showed. It was reported that the plane ride home was electric, which just goes to show that this team might be closer to figuring things out than anyone would have expected.