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Backlash Grows As Roger Goodell Pressured to “Investigate” Week 17 NFL Game

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Roger Goodell in a suit
Roger Goodell (Matthew Childs-Imagn Images)

The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants competed in the “Tank Bowl” game on Sunday. Both teams’ front offices would’ve loved for their squad to lose in order to improve their chances in the draft.

Before the game, Las Vegas announced that Maxx Crosby was not going to play. It was a decision that made him walk out on the team. Giants star Abdul Carter was too busy on the Las Vegas strip hours before this contest as well.

It seems nobody was taking it seriously. The Giants would defeat the Raiders 34-10 in the non-competitive game. Now, there are growing calls for Roger Goodell to investigate the contest.

New York Writer Wants The Giants-Raiders Game Investigated

New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders helmets (Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Longtime New York sports writer Gary Myers is calling on Roger Goodell to take action. He is demanding that the NFL commissioner investigate the Week 17 game.

“Let’s call it Tankgate. Roger Goodell is always preaching about the integrity of the game and protecting the shield,” Myers said.

“The NFL needs to look into the Raiders putting three of their best players on IR in the days before they apparently did all they could to tank their game against the Giants to secure the #1 pick to draft Fernando Mendoza without having to trade up. Evidence: The snap count of Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers and Jeremy Chinn in the previous week’s game in Houston in which the Raiders played well in a 23-21 loss. Crosby: 100% of the snaps. 6 tackles, 2 for loss. Bowers: 98% of the snaps. 5 catches Chinn: 100% of the snaps. 7 tackles. They were all playing with injuries. Every player does. Did theirs become season-ending on the flight after the game back to Vegas? Goodell spent $5 million on his silly Tom Brady-Deflategate investigation. Isn’t Tankgate at least worth a couple bucks? Wouldn’t he love to investigate a team partially owned by Brady? The 24-point victory was the Giants’ most one-sided in three years,” he wrote.

Another Giants fan called out the Raiders for blatantly tanking the contest. “Raiders should be investigated,” he wrote.

“The fact that they sent Crosby home was so obvious lmaoo,’ one fan responded.

“Giants are naturally tanking with the coaching staff and GM in place!” a second fan added.

“So ridiculous! They should forfeit the pick for that!” a third person stated.

“They are doing what the Giants should have done years ago! The rest of the NFL have common sense while the Giants are holding on for pride,” a fourth fan commented.

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a prime position for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They just need a loss or tie in Week 18 to clinch it. New York is projected to have the #2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are in a strong position to draft a top player or trade down for a substantial haul.

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