Which Key Raiders Unit is Still a Work in Progress

The Las Vegas Raiders are still searching for an identity.

Opposite Ends

The Raiders' special teams unit has had its issues. The unit has been inconsistent overall. Las Vegas' kicking game has had its ups and downs this season. Specifically, kicker Daniel Carlson has not performed well, making 12 of his 16 field goal attempts and 11 of 12 total extra point attemps.

On Monday, Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll explained how Carlson has been since missing a game-tying field goal against the Denver Broncos.

"Well, he's trying to get right. He wants to do right by his team, and he wants to get clear, and he's well-versed on the mentality of how you do that, the preparation, and the practice to get your mind clear so that you can perform like you're capable. And when they stack up on you after some time, you have to deal with it directly. So, we're addressing that right now," Carroll said.

Conversely, punter A.J. Cole has been a weapon for the Raiders. That was on display on Thursday night when he helped flip the field with multiple impressive punts. Carroll credited Cole's kicking for helping flip the field, setting the Raiders' defense up for success.

Las Vegas Raiders Pete Carroll | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

"Yeah, the kicking game was really good in some aspects. We covered like crazy, had some big hits and setbacks and field position changes. AJ's [Cole] game was almost perfect, beautiful game, and under those conditions, with the weather, you saw how it affected their punter. He came through in a magnificent way, which set up the opportunities for the defense to really take advantage of it,” Carroll said.

"And they did. So, we were really fitting together in real positive ways. Missing a kick and getting a punt blocked, they can make a difference in the game, and look how close this game was. That's how it was. I think they scored after the punt block, and we missed our three points there. So, huge factors, and hopefully we can get rid of those."

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