Since September, we have seen many different versions of both the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense and defense. Through it all, the Las Vegas special teams unit has remained reliable and consistent.
AJ Cole
All good special teams units start with a good punter, and the Raiders have found their guy. Third-year veteran AJ Cole has been a highlight of this year’s playoff team, being selected to his first Pro Bowl.
Cole leads the league in average yards per punt with 50.03. He has pinned the Raiders’ opponents inside the 20-yard line on 32 separate occasions and even forced a fumble. Thankfully, the Raiders locked Cole up for another four seasons.
Daniel Carlson
The Raiders’ front office can pat themselves on the back for this one. After being cut by Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, Carlson signed with the Raiders and the rest, as they say, is history.
Carlson hit 40 of 43 field goals in the regular season, setting a franchise record for most field goals in a single season. He kicked five game-winning field goals, including the one that sent the Raiders to the playoffs. Carlson has never missed a kick in Allegiant Stadium since the Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020.
Carlson leads the league in field goals made in 2021, after leading the league in points scored in 2020.
Trent Sieg
The Raiders’ long snapper, Trent Sieg, completes the trio of the most consistent players in a Silver and Black jersey. Sieg missed one game with COVID-19 this season but has been remarkably reliable throughout the season.
Sieg has committed no penalties, botched no snaps, and been mentioned on broadcasts on nearly zero occasions. He is everything you could want from a long snapper, and he is back for three more years.
Kick/Punt Return team
The Raiders have relied mostly on Hunter Renfrow for punt return duties this season. Renfrow returned 31 punts for 303 yards and no touchdowns. Jalen Richard took on most of the kick return plays, racking up 227 kick return yards on 11 kick returns.
The return team wasn’t one of the highlights during the regular season. There were no special teams touchdowns or very long returns, but they did give Las Vegas great field position on many occasions.
Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia is also the Raiders’ special teams coordinator. It’s fair to say special teams may have taken a back seat as he navigated his new role as head coach. Heading into the playoffs, Raider Nation can rest assured their special teams unit will remain reliable.
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*Top Photo: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
