ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - The Oakland Raiders' ineptitude on offense has been a boon to Shane Lechler in his bid to break the NFL's single-season punting record.
Lechler, who already owns the league record for career average, is having his best season so far and is making his strongest bid yet to beat Sammy Baugh's 69-year-old record of 51.4 yards.
It's an achievement Lechler has been chasing since he entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick in 2000.
A 4-time Pro Bowl pick, Lechler leads the NFL with a 52.3-yard average heading into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. That's more than three yards higher than Lechler's own franchise record of 49.1 set in 2007.
