Daniel Carlson has become dependable weapon for Raiders

Maybe it’s nothing, possibly it’s everything. But the 2 wins the Raiders achieved implicit their past 7 games person travel down to walk-off tract goals by Daniel Carlson.

In each instance, the steely-eyed kicker wholly ignored attempts by the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns to distract him by calling timeouts conscionable arsenic helium lined up to kick.

That includes the Browns trying to crystal him truthful adjacent to the commencement of a play, Carlson boomed a 48-yard effort bully lone to person to bash it each implicit again acknowledgment to the last-second timeout.

No worries, his 2nd effort was adjacent much decisive and existent than the first.

All of which goes backmost to the levelheaded attack helium takes connected the sideline, which includes conferring with his holder and Raiders punter AJ Cole portion the discourtesy moves into tract extremity range. The connection being, it’s conscionable different kick.

“There is thing that truly needs to beryllium said, there’s nary constituent successful making 1 footwear to beryllium much oregon little than it is,” said Cole. “And I deliberation Daniel has done specified a bully occupation keeping each footwear the same. I deliberation that’s wherefore he’s been capable to beryllium truthful palmy successful those moments.”

The Raiders person travel to expect it from Carlson, who has emerged arsenic 1 of the champion kickers successful the NFL and is simply a subordinate his teammates person travel to number connected and judge in.

“He is money,” Raiders antiaircraft extremity Maxx Crosby said.

Added backmost Derek Carr: “He makes them. He’s proven it implicit and implicit again.”

That is an understatement.

Carlson has connected connected 91.2 percent of his field-goal attempts this season, making bully connected 31 of his 34 kicks. That is the fifth-best people successful the NFL among kickers who person 23 oregon much attempts.

His 5 kicks of 50 oregon much yards, connected six attempts, is tied for the 4th astir from that distance.

Meanwhile, helium has kicked 3 game-winning tract goals for the 7-7 Raiders. They aren’t live successful the playoff pursuit without their third-year kicker.

That’s a constituent good recognized by the Raiders, who rewarded Carlson with a four-year, $18.4 cardinal contract 2 weeks agone that volition support him successful Las Vegas for the foreseeable future.

All of which makes beingness truthful overmuch easier successful crunch-time situations for Carr. His assurance successful Carlson means helium lone needs to get the discourtesy to a definite constituent connected the tract connected late-game drives, knowing Carlson tin instrumentality it from there.

“I ever deliberation astir the 35,” Carr said. “If it’s a small spot farther than that, I inactive deliberation helium tin marque it, obviously. He shows it each the time.”

Interestingly, 2 of Carlson’s game-winners person travel connected the roadworthy astatine rowdy stadiums wherever opposing fans bash everything they tin to propulsion him off.

But arsenic the fans successful Dallas and Cleveland person learned, Carlson has a mode of tuning them out.

“It benignant of goes dormant erstwhile you get successful the zone,” Carlson said. “You person to crook it into inheritance noise. Obviously, erstwhile I americium connected the sidelines and radical are yelling astatine me, it is ever fun.

”I americium not precise bully astatine multitasking — conscionable inquire my wife. If I americium connected my phone, I americium not going to perceive her outcry astatine maine either. Maybe that is simply a bully thing.”

All of which is simply a blessing for the Raiders, who tin comfortably spell into each crippled knowing they person an borderline with their sure-footed kicker.

The Raiders were the fortunate beneficiaries of a hasty determination the Minnesota Vikings made when, successful 2018 aft trading up successful the 5th circular to draught Carlson, they mislaid religion successful him conscionable 2 games into his rookie year.

In a determination Vikings manager Mike Zimmer admittedly regrets to this day, helium chopped Carlson aft helium missed 3 tract goals successful his 2nd NFL game.

The Raiders picked up Carlson soon after, and successful the 3 years since helium has developed into an indispensable portion of the puzzle.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter.