K Daniel Carlson

After a stellar rookie campaign with the Raiders last season, kicker Daniel Carlson is facing a bit of adversity.

He’s dealt with plenty before, having been cut from his first NFL team, the Vikings, due to poor performance. He returned to pro ranks with Oakland, hitting 94 percent of his kicks for his new club in 2018.

He’s missed five kicks already this year, along with two extra points. Gruden has taken notice. “It’s disappointing,” he said when asked by reporters Monday about Carlson’s struggles. “I think a couple of snaps weren’t perfect. The conditions weren’t great the last two weeks. But we think he’s a great kicker [and] he’s going to work himself out of it.” 

This will be a big game for Carlson; he already knows that kickers get cut at a moment’s notice in the NFL. And with Oakland playing nailbiters at home all year, the contest could come down to a field goal. Watch to see if Carlson can regain his form and perhaps come up big in the clutch.

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