Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson has proved to his team time and time again why he is one of the most important players on the roster. Carlson finished his fourth year with the Silver and Black, and it’s safe to say he gets better every year.
With 150 points in 2021, Carlson has now led the league in scoring for two straight seasons. In 2021, he set the record for most made field goals by a Raider in franchise history with 40.
Carlson’s talent was the talk of the league on numerous occasions, so let’s dive into his best year yet.
The records don’t stop there…
Carlson set an unbelievable number of records in 2021. He went nine for nine on lead-changing field goal attempts with under two minutes remaining or in overtime. This breaks the record for most in NFL history.
His lead-changing field goals were often made on the last play of the game, as Carlson had five walk-off field goals this season. His poise was unwavering each time, as it seemed like he eventually grew excited about the challenge each week.
Carlson made key difference for the Raiders…
The Silver and Black kicker was the difference between a sub-.500 season and the playoffs. Carlson didn’t miss a field goal attempt after Week 9 and didn’t miss a PAT after Week 8. This season, he went 40/43 on his attempts and has yet to miss a kick at Allegiant Stadium.
Carlson closed out a historic regular season by kicking the game-winning field goal to send the Raiders to the playoffs and end AFC West rival the Los Angeles Chargers’ season. Al Davis was smiling down on Carlson that day.
Carlson’s impressive 2021 season brought him numerous accolades. First off, he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week four different times. That was the most in league history. Carlson was also rewarded for his game-saving talent during the season by signing a four-year extension in December. His $18.4 million contract ties him to Las Vegas through the 2026 season.
The Lows
Truthfully, Carlson didn’t really have any lows this past season. Looking back, Carlson only committed one real penalty. That was when a kickoff went out of bounds and was the only time Carlson was seen in anything remotely close to a negative light.
The only other low of Carlson’s season came from being snubbed from the Pro Bowl. The AFC has two unbelievable kickers in both Carlson and the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker. Ultimately, Tucker’s 67-yard field goal gave him the edge over Carlson in Pro Bowl voting.
Carlson was named an Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro, behind only Justin Tucker. This is the first time in Carlson’s career he has been named to the prestigious list, but surely not the last. The Raiders’ superstar kicker continues to show why the Minnesota Vikings made a mistake. More importantly, he keeps proving the Raiders right in their decision to give him a chance.
DANIEL CARLSON FOR THE WIN.
What a way to end the 2021 season! #LACvsLV #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/LpERrW7WQ6
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
Thanks, Mike Zimmer, from Raider Nation.
*Top Photo: Wade Vandervort/Las Vegas Raiders
