If you thought you’ve seen everything in the world of football, Thursday night’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos might have surprised you. As the first half was wrapping up, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker nailed a remarkable 57-yard field goal. Though it brought the Chargers closer, trimming the Broncos’ lead to 21-13 at halftime, what was extraordinary about this moment was how it unfolded.
Let’s set the scene. The Broncos found themselves punting from their own 16-yard line, facing fourth-and-12. Chargers receiver Derius Davis awaited the punt and called for a fair catch. However, things took a turn when Denver’s cornerback Tremon Smith was flagged for fair-catch interference. This 15-yard penalty was a game-changer, moving the ball to the Denver 47-yard line, setting up Dicker for his big-time kick.
Now, a free kick field goal isn’t something you see every day in the NFL, even though it is tucked away in the rulebook. After a fair catch or when there’s interference on a fair catch, the receiving team can choose to play the ball from that spot either by a snap or with a fair catch kick. The kick can be a drop kick or a place kick without a tee, giving the offense a unique scoring opportunity.
To put it in perspective, the NFL hasn’t seen a successful field goal attempt after a fair catch since 1976. In that game, it was the San Diego Chargers (now the Los Angeles Chargers) who pulled off the feat against the Buffalo Bills. That encounter was another wild affair—a series of blunders and unexpected plays. Despite three interceptions thrown by Chargers legend Dan Fouts, they managed a significant win with contributions from Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner.
The days of Ray Wersching making a 45-yard post-fair catch free kick feel like a distant memory. But Thursday night rekindled that rare piece of history, proving once again that football always has room for the unexpected. So, for all the fans out there, keep watching. Football finds a way to surprise us, just when we think we’ve seen it all.
