Giorgio Tavecchio, your AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 1

In his first NFL regular season game of his career, Oakland Raiders kicker Giorgio Tavecchio starred and is your AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

There were a ton of positive takeaways from the Oakland Raiders’ Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Marshawn Lynch looked good as new at running back. Derek Carr had a good first game back after fracturing his fibula. Even the Raiders defense played its best ball in a long time.

However, no player on the Raiders shined quite like placekicker Giorgio Tavecchio. The former California Golden Bears kicker finally got into action in an NFL game that counts and had an unbelievable NFL debut.

Tavecchio made all four of his field goal attempts, including two from 52 yards away. He became the first kicker in NFL history to make two 50-plus yard field goals in his NFL debut. For that, he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1.

Tavecchio was responsible for 14 of the Raiders’ 26 points in their win over the Titans on Sunday. It’s been quite the journey for the Italian American placekicker. A former four-year starter at Cal had not kicked in a game that counted since 2011. He went undrafted out of Cal in 2012.

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Tavecchio bounced around on a few teams before becoming a preseason staple with the Silver and Black in 2014. Oakland historically prides itself on elite special teams play. The problem for Tavecchio making this team is that he’d have to overtake the franchise leader in points in Sebastian Janikowski.

Janikowski has been a staple in the Bay Area for kicking field goals since he was a first-round pick back in 2000 out of Florida State. Though 39 years old, Janikowski can still boot it with that strong left leg of his.

The problem is that age may be catching up with the greatest field goal kicker in Raiders franchise history. Janikowski had to go on Injured Reserve with a herniated disc in his back. He will not be able to play in the Raiders’ first eight games of 2017. Janikowski did the right thing by telling head coach Jack Del Rio he’d be unable to go in Week 1 versus the Titans.

That roster move allowed Tavecchio his opportunity to shine in the Music City. Playing on the road against a good AFC team in the Titans was not going to be easy. At times, Oakland leaned on Tavecchio to lead them to victory. Without his great placekicking, Oakland may not have won this game.

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Nobody was happier on the sidelines to see Tavecchio star than Janikowski. Though Tavecchio may get usurped by Janikowski on the depth chart once he returns from injury, it does seem that the Italian kicker has a role in this league. You simply cannot ask for a better debut out of a special teams player than what we got out of Tavecchio in Week 1. Congratulations, Giorgio!