You never know what you’re going to see on the football field, and Thursday night’s Chargers-Broncos was no different.
In fact, the Chargers completed something that hadn’t been done in an NFL game in 48 years.
At the end of the first half in Los Angeles’ 34-27 win “Thursday Night Football,” the Chargers’ Cameron Dicker nailed a 57-yard free kick field goal, the first successful one since 1976.
With the clock dwindling in the second quarter, the Chargers forced Denver to punt.
Riley Dixon sent a punt 46 yards to the Chargers’ 38-yard line, and Derius Davis called a fair catch that seemed as if it would end the half with the clock hitting triple zeros.
However, Broncos corner Tremon Smith took an ill-advised fair catch interference penalty, giving the Chargers 15 extra yards.
And this is where things got interesting.
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Per NFL rules, a team that calls for a fair catch can either go for a drop kick or free kick from the spot of the grab.
But, in this case, with the 15-yard penalty tacked on, the Chargers had a chance to kick closer to midfield than they otherwise would’ve.
Setting up for the free kick, sans a snap and looking more like a kickoff, Dicker nailed the kick, which was just two yards shy of his career-long he set earlier this season.
“Looking over at their sideline was funny, they were confused what was going on,” Dicker told reporters after the game. “We talk about it every week, so it was a normal thing for us. But it’s funny to watch.”
Fittingly enough, the last to accomplish the feat was Chargers kicker Ray Wersching.
“TNF” analyst Kirk Herbstreit put it simply.
“[He] made history tonight,” he said.
Dicker finished with a perfect night, drilling two field goals and two extra points.