Despite picking up a massive win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17, the New York Giants weren’t in a celebratory mood. The league took four of the players under scrutiny, announcing specific fines for each of them.

One of those troubles came following an outrageous act involving Rico Payton and Andru Phillips. The team was quick enough to take all appropriate steps to avoid drawing attention to the act, but the league has decided to punish it with a notable fine.

Rico Payton and Dru Phillips were at the center of the NFL’s disciplinary action against the New York Giants following their 34-10 win over the Raiders. Payton was fined twice on the same play, receiving two $5,333 fines for unnecessary roughness. The penalties were for a late hit and for striking or kneeing Raiders wide receiver Chigozie Anusiem. The total fine amounted to $10,666, making Payton the most heavily fined Giant from the game.

Phillips, on the other hand, was fined $7,293 for a late hit that was also ruled unnecessary roughness. His penalty came during one of the game’s more physical moments and added to concerns about discipline on the Giants’ defense. However, this wasn’t just the end of it, as the penalty decisions covered other team members as well.

This was one of the Giants’ high-scoring games, with the team scoring in every quarter. The Raiders defense couldn’t handle the Giants’ offense. The 34-10 loss marked the 14th loss of the season for the Raiders. While a win on the field, the Giants continued to lose more money in fines after the game.

The remaining fines were handed to Raheem Layne, who was fined $5,722 for unnecessary roughness involving helmet use, and rookie Tyler Nubin, who received a $10,324 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct related to illegal celebrations and vulgar acts. This extends the overall fine amount to more than $34,000, and the total penalty count for the team now stands at 121. They are also ranked at number 7th for committing 14 penalties in a single game, during a showdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

Interim coach Mike Kafka addresses the disappointment following his first win

The recent victory over the Las Vegas Raiders gave a slight rise to the Giants’ struggling win-loss record this season. The Week 17 game marked the third win for the Giants during the regular season. While their last lucky moment was recorded back in October (34-17 against the Eagles), the team had to bid farewell to their head coach, Brian Daboll, and has not yet appointed anyone else. While Mike Kafka took the position as the team’s interim coach, he made an instant change to Daboll’s strategy. He had moved the Special Teams meetings to early mornings, which was welcomed by the roster. Now, following the Week 17 win, Kafka addressed the penalties and shared his thoughts on the fines.

“The things we were playing for were each other,” Kafka told reporters following the game. “You get into a football locker room, it’s a family. Sometimes you have to go through ups and downs, but you keep plugging away, keep on putting in the hard work, and then you’ll get the result that you want.”

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The Giants have failed to secure a playoff spot this year, and adding salt to their wounds, the 2025 season turned out to be one of the worst in the Giants’ team history. At week 11, with the Giants having a 2-8 record, head coach Brian Daboll was fired. It wasn’t just the losses, but the team made it a practice not capitalize on their leads, and showed no real progress. His overall Giants record was 20–40–1, one of the worst marks in franchise history.

Do you think Kafka could be a perfect permanent head coach for the Giants?