With no time left on the clock in the first half Thursday night, kicker Cameron Dicker and the Los Angeles Chargers made some history.
Dicker converted a 57-yard fair-catch field goal, the first such made kick since 1976, to end the half, cutting the Chargers' deficit to eight points and sparking a rally that led to a 34-27 win against the Denver Broncos.
"It's my favorite rule in football," Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the victory, grinning ear to ear. "Just trying to get one of those in every game."
Chargers punt returner Derius Davis was contacted on the previous play, drawing a fair catch interference flag for 15 yards with no time left in the half. Per NFL rules, the Chargers then had the choice to go for a free-kick field goal or an untimed snap from scrimmage. They chose the former and Dicker delivered.
"Cam Dicker stepped up and nailed it," Harbaugh said. "Got the momentum back."
Unlike a normal field goal, the set-up is akin to a kickoff but with a holder, allowing Dicker to attempt the field goal from the point of the spot without facing a rush or moving the ball back 8 yards.
As fate would have it, Dicker's 57-yarder was the longest fair-catch made FG in NFL history and the first made free-kick FG since the San Diego Chargers' Ray Wersching on Nov. 21, 1976.
"It was a pretty cool moment," Dicker said.
According to the Chargers, the past nine fair-catch kick attempts were no good prior to Thursday night.
Though it had the NFL world buzzing, the free kick isn't a foreign subject for Harbaugh or special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken.
Harbaugh had Phil Dawson attempt a 71-yard free kick back in the 2013 season when he was the San Francisco 49ers head coach. Dawson didn't convert and Harbaugh admitted after Thursday's win that maybe he should've rethought such a long attempt back then.
The situation wasn't far from the Chargers' thoughts, though, as Ficken had his squad practicing it this week, according to Harbaugh.
Still, quarterback Justin Herbert thought he'd be taking the field instead of Dicker, figuring he'd throw a Hail Mary to end the half. He was glad he didn't, though.
"It was a huge momentum boost for us," Herbert said.
The field goal cut the Chargers' deficit to 21-13 at the half. After a Denver field goal to start the scoring in the second half, Los Angeles countered with 21 straight points.
It also continued a Pro Bowl-caliber season for the kicker. He made both of his point-after attempts and both of his field goals, upping his respective totals on the season to 27 for 30 and 31 of 33.
However, the looming highlight will be his free kick that paid off. Despite being educated on the possibility, he admitted he didn't truly think the opportunity would present itself.
It did, and now he's in the history books while the Chargers (9-6) are smackdab in the midst of the playoff race.
"I didn't really think it'd ever happen, I was always just kinda like, 'That'd be cool if it did,'" Dicker said. "'Cause usually they're longer kicks and long kicks are fun."
