Raiders K Daniel Carlson Remains Steady Heading Into Week 8

Many kickers have struggled this season, but Daniel Carlson is not one of them. The Las Vegas Raiders kicker has been clutch in all but one of his attempts so far this season and even nailed one 54-yard field goal against the New Orleans Saints and another against the Buffalo Bills. 

The Raiders don’t need to worry about the kicker position

Carlson is one of the most underrated kickers in the entire league. Although he struggled last season, it seems like an outlier as he was solid in 2018. Since joining the Raiders two years ago, he has had an 80.3% success rate on field goals. Moreover, Carlson shows off his leg in field goals over 50 yards and has completed six out of his eight attempts.

On kickoffs, Carlson also shows why he’s one of the best in the league. He has a 65.6% touchback rate this season while his career average sits at 54.9 percent. At 59 percent, the league average is a bit higher but don’t let that cloud your views on Carlson.

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What does the future hold for Daniel Carlson?

Carlson’s accuracy dates back to his college days at Auburn. He went a perfect 148 for 148 on extra-point attempts. He nailed a 56-yard field goal in college, as well as every single year of his four years with a long over 40 yards. His shortest long was a 51-yard one in his freshman season. 

The 6’5 kicker certainly has all the tools to become of the one best kickers in the league, he has a great leg, he just needs to hone down on his accuracy then he will be elite. A lot of fans wanted to give up on Carlson early last season during his struggles. He is proving the fair-weather fans wrong this year though. 

Regardless of how the Raiders season turns out, Carlson has been a key contributor, and it doesn’t seem like that will change soon. Throughout all the unknown variables in 2020, the kicker will likely stay healthy and continue putting on a clinic.  

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Top Photo: Wade Vandervort/Las Vegas Sun