Predictions for Carlson, Cole in 2022

Special teams is a third of the game of football.

For the Las Vegas Raiders, their special teams were in good hands in the 2021-22 season, with kicker Daniel Carlson and punter A.J. Cole leading the way.

Each player was one of the best at their respective positions last season, and their performances throughout the year were instrumental in the Silver and Black's push for the playoffs.

Here's how I think the two will respond to each of their career seasons:

Daniel Carlson: 30-plus made field goals

This, of course, isn't something you can quite predict with much reason, especially when considering the offensive firepower Las Vegas will have in the 2022 season. You might think Carlson's efforts will not be needed as much this time around.

Even so, I anticipate the 27-year-old kicker to make at least 30 field goals this coming season.

Carlson led the NFL with 40 field goals last season while also tying New England Patriots kicker Nick Folk with a league-best 150 points.

Carlson's field-goal total tied him for the second-most in a single season in NFL history.

While it would be exciting to witness history, I don't think Carlson will be needed to make 40 field goals, given the receiving threats surrounding quarterback Derek Carr.

However, the Raiders still have one of the toughest schedules in the league, and with a tough schedule, there are usually several close games.

I think 30 is a fair ballpark number when noting the fact that Carlson has had a total of 78 field goal attempts over the last two seasons, having missed only five over that span.

A.J. Cole: 2,250-plus total punting yards

Cole was arguably the best punter in the league last year, having been named to his first-ever Pro Bowl and to the AP All-Pro first team in what was his third season in the NFL.

He punted 64 times for a total of 3,202 yards, with a league-leading 50.0 punting yards per game.

Again, this 2022 roster is better on paper than that of last year's. I see the team having to punt only about 50 to 55 times next season, which is around three punts per game.

So 2,250 yards seems like a safe mark for Cole.

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