Presumed Raiders strength turning to weakness quickly

If there was one thing that Las Vegas Raiders fans thought was not going to be an issue heading into the season, it was their special teams unit.

Kicker Daniel Carlson has been on the Raiders since 2018, while punter AJ Cole has since 2019. Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon has been in his position since 2022. With all of the continuity surrounding the unit, there was little reason to doubt their reliability.

However, that has not been the case early on in the season.

The special teams have been surprisingly poor early in the season.

Over the past two weeks, blocked kicks have emerged as an issue. Carlson had a game-winning field goal blocked against the Chicago Bears, while Cole suffered a sprained ankle after having a punt blocked against the Indianapolis Colts.

An important aspect to understand is that tight end Michael Mayer would have been a part of their special teams blocking, but he has been out with a concussion for the previous two games.

“It’s crucially important for us, particularly because he’s in such a critical position where he plays and he’s really good at it,” coach Pete Carroll said on Mayer. “We need him.”

Unfortunately, Mayer’s injury has only been the tip of the iceberg for the Raiders’ special teams woes.

Carlson has only converted 75 percent of his field goals (nine-of-12), which is the second-worst mark of his career (73.1% in 2019). Cole’s 33.9 yards in net punting average is the lowest mark of his career, not helped by a coverage unit that is allowing 18.8 yards per return (fifth-worst in the NFL). If Cole is unable to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, former Cincinnati Bengals punter Brad Robbins will have to take the start.

With struggles in kicking and punting, as well as in the return game, the Raiders are finding out firsthand that when it rains, it pours.