Raiders report: Jaguars kicker sets NFL record at Allegiant Stadium

Jaguars kicker Cam Little finally got to officially break the NFL record for longest field goal Sunday.

Little drilled a 70-yard try in the preseason that didn’t qualify for the record books. But the 2024 sixth-round pick out of Arkansas connected from 68 yards as time expired in the first half of Jacksonville’s 30-29 overtime win over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

“I kicked it straight and it kind of stayed left-middle the whole time,” Little said. “My ball kind of naturally draws if I hit it on the screws and it didn’t really draw much. Once (holder Logan Cooke) threw his arms up, I kind of had an idea it was going in. But that ball takes a long time to get there so you don’t want to ever celebrate too early, so I didn’t really know until it went over the crossbar. It was tough for me to tell. A lot of guys are taller than me.”

Few guys can kick a ball as far as Little, however.

The successful kick broke the record for longest field goal in an NFL regular-season game, previously set by the Ravens’ Justin Tucker in 2021 (66 yards).

Coach Liam Coen said there was no hesitation over whether to send Little out for the attempt. It went in to cut the Jaguars’ deficit to 6-3 at halftime.

“That was what ignited us, I think,” Coen said.

Little also tied the game with a 48-yard field goal at the end of regulation. He said after his 70-yard kick against the Steelers in August he thought Tucker’s record would fall soon. Now that Little has it, he doesn’t expect to keep it long.

“Probably until next week, to be honest. I’m not joking,” Little said. “There are just so many good kickers around this league and so many guys very capable of making that kick. It just comes down to getting the opportunity and seizing it. I don’t doubt someone will break that record at some point.”

Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson agreed.

“Every sport, guys are trying to break records and over time players get better and better,” Carlson said. “Competition breeds success. Hopefully his record holds a while until someone gets a chance to break it and hopefully it will be with three points for the Raiders.”

Carlson was impressed with Little’s kick, even if he wasn’t thrilled about seeing it live.

“I wish it didn’t come against us,” he said. “But I know Cam and he’s a stud. Obviously, he hit one in preseason. I knew he had the leg and he hit it well. Good for him. I wish we would have blocked it or something because every point matters and that ended up being three big ones. It was cool to see, but I really wish it wasn’t against us.”

Little wasn’t thinking about the record when he took the field for the attempt.

“I was just kind of in the moment,” he said. “People like to ask, ‘What do you think about before you kick?’ Well, you don’t think about anything. You just black out into a mindset of just relying on muscle memory at that point.”

Storybook ending foiled

Tyler Lockett’s Raiders debut could have ended so much differently.

The veteran wide receiver, who signed this week to reunite with coach Pete Carroll and close friend Geno Smith, appeared to be wide open in the back of the end zone on the decisive 2-point conversion attempt in overtime.

Smith fired in Lockett’s direction, but the ball was knocked down by defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton to give the Jaguars the win.

“It was a great play call and a great setup,” Lockett said. “The (defender) just made a great play on it. Geno saw me and tried to get it there and I was just focused on the ball waiting to see it in. But he made a great play. If he doesn’t, we probably win the game.”

Carroll saw the same thing.

“Tyler was wide open in the back of the end zone, and the play was perfect, and they tipped the ball,” he said. “I thought we won the game because Geno went right to him. It was exactly right. We just got the ball knocked down.”

Every point counts

Carlson lamented his missed extra point in the second quarter, just the third he has missed since the start of the 2023 season.

He entered the game having made 96 percent of his attempts over his eight-year career.

“It stinks,” Carlson said. “Obviously, I have to look in the mirror and know I have to do better and deliver for the team on a consistent basis. Every play I get, whether it’s a field goal or extra point or kickoff, every opportunity I get is either points or field position. It’s a heartbreaker to lose like that. But we have a short week and I have to get ready to bounce back and play a division rival (in Denver) on Thursday.”

Carlson didn’t make excuses, but the missed attempt did come after a long delay for a video review of a touchdown catch by tight end Brock Bowers.

“Obviously, you have to learn from every mistake,” Carlson said. “I don’t think it was a focus thing. It happens, but you have to make sure it doesn’t happen again. You have to learn from it, figure something out from it and make the next one.

“I think I just got a little under it. I can know what I did, but you have to go out and avoid doing it next time.”

‘I couldn’t believe it’

Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao saw the ball coming right at him in the end zone during the first quarter and knew he had a chance to make a big play.

As long as he could hold on. He did, picking off Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence for his second interception of the season.

“I’m looking at (Lawrence) and it felt like we were looking each other in the eyes. I couldn’t believe it. He kind of just low-key threw it to me. I just had to catch it.

“But there have been too many times in previous games where I had the ball in my hands and dropped it so I’m glad I made the play.”

It was Pola-Mao’s first interception since Week 1 and the third of his career. It prevented Jacksonville from scoring points at the end of a 17-play drive.

“It was a good feeling to get off the field like that, but we didn’t do that enough,” Pola-Mao said. “I think we took a step forward as a defense, but we can’t hurt ourselves. We gave them penalties on critical plays and critical downs. It’s on all of us to not let that happen. There’s stuff to build off, but I think we hurt ourselves too many times on plays that just kept drives going. It’s just critical that we find ways get off the field.”

Scratched

With Lockett active, rookie fourth-round pick Dont’e Thornton Jr. was a healthy scratch.

Carroll said the Raiders wanted to get a look at Lockett, and Thornton’s lack of experience on special teams led to him being the wide receiver that became inactive.

“I wanted to see what Tyler would do,” Carroll said. “I wanted to get him on the field, see what would happen and it’s his spot. Because of special teams, not enough contribution, (Thornton) had to go down on this one. It’s just one week. We’ll see what happens next week.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.