AJ Cole was Key in Raiders' Victory Over Packers
On a night when the Las Vegas Raiders' All-Pro kicker, Daniel Carlson, missed two field goal attempts, the other star specialist rose to the occasion.
Raiders Pro Bowl punter AJ Cole had one of the best games of his career, and it was much needed.
All four of his punts in the Raiders' 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night went beyond the opponent's 20-yard line, with only one being returned.
"I thought that our punter punted really well tonight and changed field positions and that kind of eventually made a difference," said Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels when he addressed reporters after the game.
Cole's first and longest punt of the night came on Las Vegas' first possession of the game.
When the Raiders had handed momentum right back to Green Bay with the Packers' nine-yard sack of Las Vegas quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Cole immediately gave Raider Nation a reason to cheer again as he drilled a 55-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Green Bay seven-yard line.
The Packers, however, would end with a field goal at the end of that drive.
Las Vegas would again have to give the ball back on its next possession, but a 37-yard punt from Cole that was fair caught at the opposing 10-yard line would fuel a Raiders defense that then limited the Packers to only four plays.
Following Green Bay's game-tying touchdown early in the third quarter, the Raiders needed to get momentum back on their side.
After failing to answer, Cole's 53-yard punt to Green Bay's 15-yard line -- which was returned to only the 17 -- would once again set up the Packers' offense in poor field position.
Green Bay did score a field goal on that possession, but its drive to the red zone was merely due to a 77-yard reception for Packers wide receiver Christian Watson and a penalty by Raiders cornerback Marcus Peters.
The most important punt of the night would come at a point where the Raiders could not afford to give up their late lead.
Despite getting the ball back with a crucial interception, Las Vegas would lose three yards in three plays on that responding drive.
Cole then punted the ball 44 yards to Green Bay's 17-yard line.
The Packers could not advance the ball and would be forced to punt it back to the Raiders, who led 17-13, with less than six minutes remaining in the game.
"I thought there was some definite big stretches for us of complementary football," McDaniels said. "I mentioned AJ earlier. I mean, punting -- we pinned them inside the 17-yard line, I think, four or five times today, which is -- that's good complementary football. It puts the defense on a long field and the defense did a good job there."
The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next week to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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