The Las Vegas Raiders’ habit of going dead in the red zone made kicker Daniel Carlson a must-have for fantasy football. Through two weeks of the regular season, the start of the 2023 campaign can be termed mundane for DC2.
The Raiders went east and got shelled by the Buffalo Bills 38-10, rendering Carlson’s participation relatively moot last Sunday. He was 1-for-1 on both field goals and points after, and both of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.
Raiders Week 2 In Review: The Kicking Game
Carlson’s partner in crime, punter A.J. Cole III, booted the ball three times in the throttling in Buffalo, bombing the pigskin for 149 yards (a long of 53), good enough for a healthy average of 49.7.
Through two games, there’s plenty of concern surrounding the 1-1 Raiders. Fortunately for the Silver & Black, the special teams battery of Carlson, Cole, and long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer isn’t an issue.
Cole, in particular, got the most work he has received as a punter this past weekend. His three kicks on Sunday gave him four total on the year for 198 yards (49.5 average), with a twin 198 net yardage and 49.5 net average.
The true measure of a punter is their net yardage, and the reason these stats mirror each other in 2023 is because none of Cole’s four punts have been returned. For reference, Cole sported a 48.9 average last season, but his net average was 43.8 due to the return yardage the opposing team racked up.
Carlson, meanwhile, accounts for nine of Las Vegas’ 27 points for the year. That total is quite the dubious distinction for the Raiders. It ranks as the second-lowest mark since the 2012 campaign. Only one incarnation of the Silver and Black was worse, and I bet you can guess what squad it was.
#Raiders have 27 points thru 2 games. Last time they had fewer after 2 games was 2006 when the Bed and Breakfast offense had 6. Raiders also had only 27 thru 2 games in 2012.
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 17, 2023
Carlson only had two kickoffs in last Sunday’s loss to the Bills, but both were touchbacks. That brings his running total of kickoffs to seven, with four resulting in touchbacks.
Previewing Sunday Night Football…
Expect Carlson and Cole to get work in during the Raiders home opener this coming Sunday night against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers (who sprinted past the Cleveland Browns on Monday night, 26-22).
Las Vegas’ red zone performance isn’t impressive so far, as the team has visited the money zone six times and only scored a touchdown on three of those trips. That gives the Silver & Black the 22nd ranking in the NFL–the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers are tops in red zone conversion rate, scoring five touchdowns in six visits (83.3%). Thus, if the Raiders get inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, there’s a high probability Carlson will get some field goal opportunities if the offense fails to punch it into the end zone.
On Cole’s spectrum, the Raiders offense has only converted eight third downs on 18 attempts (44.4%). The conversion rate is the seventh-highest in the league (behind the Buffalo Bills—12 of 26 conversions, 48%). If that conversion rate dips further, it’ll mean more work for Cole to pin the opponents deep in their territory.
*Top Photo: John Locker/Associated Press