The free fall that the Las Vegas Raiders offense finds itself in is horrifyingly astonishing. Josh McDaniels’ play calling, and player execution landed the Silver the Black at No. 12 overall in points scored and yards gained in 2022. That made Daniel Carlson a money-fantasy kicker. Also, let’s not forget about A.J. Cole.
Four games into the 2023 season, however, the Raiders offense has fleeting moments of brilliance. Then, it wreaks of a putrid smell called incompetence. Play calling and execution are amiss, and the Raiders haven’t scored more than 18 points this season. McDaniels’ offense is ranked 25th and 26th in points scored and yards gained, respectively. Additionally, the team as a whole boasts an awful 62-to-101-point differential (-39).
What about the Raiders’ rookie?
Las Vegas did start rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell against the Los Angeles Chargers, and the neophyte fourth-round pick was expected to struggle. So, in essence, that was boom or bust potential for Carlson. It turned out to be the latter, for the accomplished place kicker.
Carlson continued his minimalist work, going 1 for 1 in field goal attempts (a chip shot 22-yard boot) and sending both his PAT attempts through the upright. In comparison, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker was also limited in opportunities, drilling his lone 33-yard attempt. He was 3 for 3 on his PAT attempts.
Carlson’s elite special teams batterymate, punter AJ Cole III, shined in the Raiders’ 24-17 loss to the Chargers, however.
A.J. Cole, Daniel Carlson continues to show off…
Cole showed off his mighty leg and placement skills. He punted five times and racked up 269 yards (a very robust 53.8 yards per boot), You can add a bomb of a 70-yard punt too. Three of those boots ended up inside the Chargers’ 20-yard line, pinning the Bolts deep in their own territory. L.A. return man Derius Davis did field three of Cole’s punts and returned them for 18 yards (a long of 12). Cole showcased his ability to not only create much-needed distance on his boots but also the hang time needed for the Raiders’ coverage unit to get down the field and limit returns or make the tackle as soon as Davis fielded the boot.
Cole is a three-tool punter (power, placement, and hang time) when compared to his Chargers’ counterpart, JK Scott. Scott is renowned for his orbital punts and massive hang time, but they tend to be shorter in distance, as marked by his four boots that went for 160 yards (40-yard average) and a long of 49.
The Raiders boot specialists…
Throughout the year, the Raiders boot specialists continue to be a strong aspect of the team’s game. Limited opportunities for Carlson, notwithstanding, of course.
He’s 4 for 4 on the season with a long of 47, and of his 15 kickoff attempts, 11 have resulted in touchbacks (73.3%). Cole, on the flip side, has a total of 14 punts for 729 yards (an average of 52.1) and a net average of 49.0 yards as opponents have racked up a meager 23 yards in returns. Of those 14 boots, six have landed inside the opponent’s 20. Also, just one of Cole’s punts has resulted in a touchback.
With the Raiders offense still struggling like an evolution chart—the team is at a crawling on all fours stage and looking to get to walking upright before finally (hopefully) sprinting—A.J. Cole has a strong chance of showcasing he’s one of the NFL’s best punters (if not the best) even more. Daniel Carlson, meanwhile, is at the mercy of the offense and the opportunities McDaniels gives him.
Las Vegas (1-3 overall) does play host to the Green Bay Packers (2-2) for a Monday Night Football clash inside Allegiant Stadium. Perhaps that’ll be the right game for the Raiders, a team riding a moribund three-game losing streak.
*Top Photo: Chris Unger/Getty Images