There were some positives for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019. However, there were also many negatives and the team finished the season with a 7-9 record. One of those negatives was kicker Daniel Carlson’s performance.
Daniel Carlson is coming back from a subpar 2019 season
Carlson was very efficient for the Raiders in 2018. That year, the Silver and Black acquired him after being released by the Minnesota Vikings. He ended up playing 10 games and made 17 of 21 field goals and hit all his extra-point attempts.
Things didn’t go as smoothly for Carlson in 2019 though, as he connected just 19 of his 26 field goal attempts. Moreover, his field-goal rate went from 94.1 in 2018 to 73.1 last season. Concerned about his production, the Raiders brought in undrafted free agent Dominik Eberle in the offseason and were reportedly interested in Japanese kicker Toshiki Sato.
In the end, the Raiders must have seen enough from Carlson that they released Eberle during training camp. Although they would eventually sign the Utah State product to the practice squad, Carlson’s job was safe. He wouldn’t need to compete and he could instead focus on polishing his craft.
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The Raiders are getting good production out of Daniel Carlson
So far, Carlson hasn’t disappointed. He has made all but one of his field-goal attempts. His sole miss was against the New England Patriots in Week 3, but other than that, he has delivered when he has had his name called. Against the New Orleans Saints, he nailed a 54-yard kick that helped the Raiders secure a 10-point lead in their eventual 34-24 win.
Carlson recently had a chance to sit with the media and said he was happy to be part of the Raiders’ huge win against the Saints. During the press conference, he also added that taking things one at a time has also helped him come back to form. We can’t argue with the results as his field goal percentage is back in the 90s at 91.7.
Things didn’t go the way the Raiders expected in 2019, but this year, all facets of the game seem to be clicking. Even though there are some areas the Silver and Black need to work on, kicker isn’t one of them.
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Top Photo: Jeff Robertson/Associated Press