Raiders Part Ways with Special Teams Coordinator

The Raiders are making significant changes after a rough performance in this week’s “Thursday Night Football.”

Las Vegas announced on Friday that special teams coordinator Tom McMahon has been let go, just a day after a particularly challenging game.

“Earlier today, we made the tough choice to part ways with Tom McMahon,” Raiders head coach Pete Carroll commented. He added, “I have great respect for Tom and the contributions he’s made in this league, but we feel it’s time to take a different path.”

McMahon had been with the Raiders since 2022 and will be succeeded by special teams assistant Delius Swinton II.

This season, the Raiders’ special teams have struggled overall, with the issues coming to a head during Thursday’s 10-7 defeat against the Broncos.

In a critical moment of the game, late in the third quarter, punter AJ Cole had a kick blocked right near their goal line, which allowed the Broncos to score a field goal and take the lead.

Furthermore, with fewer than five minutes remaining, kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 48-yard field goal attempt that might have tied the game, albeit in windy conditions.

Last week, Carlson faced difficulties as well; he missed an extra point during a game that saw the special teams unit lose a potential victory against the Jaguars, culminating in a 30-29 loss in overtime after a failed two-point conversion.

Interestingly, in Week 4, Carlson had done well, nailing a 54-yard field goal that could have sealed a win against the Bears.

Overall, Pete Carroll’s first season has been quite rocky, with the Raiders landing at 2-7, which included a staggering 220-139 point deficit over those games.