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New York Giants head coach Mike Kafka.
The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders have been ruling out key players left and right ahead of their Week 17 matchup, nicknamed the “Tank Bowl” by fans, and the latest NYG injury news seemed to counter LVR’s recent Maxx Crosby controversy.
“The Giants have downgraded TE Theo Johnson (illness) and C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (finger) to out for tomorrow vs. the Raiders,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on December 27. Garafolo added that Johnson and Schmitz “won’t travel with the team.”
Although the Giants labeled Schmitz as “doubtful” on December 26, this update still turned heads on social media for all the wrong reasons.
Johnson wasn’t even listed on the final injury report. Then, one day later, he’s ruled out because he’s sick? Something doesn’t quite add up.
There’s certainly no reason for interim head coach Mike Kafka or quarterback Jaxson Dart to “tank,” or lose on purpose, but one could argue that ownership and general manager Joe Schoen might be willing to do so to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Assuming, of course, that Schoen has been guaranteed his safety.
And we have not heard anything to the contrary from President and CEO John Mara.
At the end of the day, whether or not the Giants and the Raiders are both tanking is unclear and difficult to prove, but one thing is plainly obvious: the fans believe they are, and that’s a big issue for the NFL.
Giants, NFL Fans React to Last-Minute Week 17 Injury News
The fans made their opinions known after the Giants ruled out Johnson and Schmitz, with a mixture of humor and accusations.
“The Raiders have countered by downgrading their entire roster to out for the rest of the season,” one fan joked. “In a corresponding move, the roster of the Edmonton Elks has been signed by the Raiders and will play Sunday vs. the Giants.”
Another commented: “Can we not televise this game? It might be a bad product at this point haha.”
“We really boutta watch a JV game,” a third fan said. And a fourth voiced that “this tank bowl is gonna be legendary.”
Finally, former Raiders beat reporter Vic Tafur playfully replied, “Tanks,” in GIF form.
It should be noted that Las Vegas received a similar amount of blowback after the coaching staff shut down star tight end Brock Bowers and Crosby, their star edge rusher.
Raiders Double Down on Maxx Crosby Decision, Placing Him on IR Ahead of Giants Matchup
GettyLas Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby has been placed on the injured reserve.
There was another Crosby update on December 27, and the Raiders didn’t back down in the face of “tanking” accusations, placing their integral defensive end on the injured reserve.
They even released a formal statement on the decision, which read: “We have made the decision to place Maxx Crosby on the Reserve/Injured list for the remainder of the 2025 season. After deliberate and thorough consultation with multiple top medical professionals, it became clear that this decision is in the best interest of both the franchise and the player. Maxx is the ultimate warrior, and he has fought extremely hard to compete each week with his teammates since injuring his knee mid-season. We are grateful for his extraordinary contributions. He is a true Raider on and off the field — we look forward to his leadership and toughness into 2026 and beyond.”
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport followed up on this news, calling it a planned “meniscus trim” for the Raiders star.
Similarly, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that “Raiders star Maxx Crosby is expected to need knee surgery that would sideline him into the offseason, league sources tell ESPN.”
NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer initially revealed Crosby was being shut down on December 26, but he caused commotion with the way he reported the story.
“Scoopage: Raiders told Maxx Crosby they want to shut him down [the] last two games,” Glazer stated. “Crosby, who has played with injuries for much of the year, vehemently disagreed and has left the building @nflonfox has learned. This could lead to questions on his future in Vegas.”
It remains to be seen if Glazer’s report of frustration and disagreement is accurate.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL as an Associate Editor for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the NFL breaking news operation, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller
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