Jim Harbaugh dusted off his rule book and flexed his brain muscles Thursday night.
The Chargers coach instituted the free kick rule after the Broncos punted as time expired, resulting in Cameron Dicker's 57-yard completion late in the first half, giving his team three free points.
With these three points, Los Angeles increased their lead to 24-6 and won 34-27.
“I've been trying to get one of those every game. Cam Dicker stepped up and was successful. That was huge and gave us momentum back,” Harbaugh said of the obscure play.
It was the first successful free kick in 48 years, perhaps partly because the circumstances leading up to the play were so unique.
A free kick can occur if a team punts as time expires in the first half and commits an interference penalty on a fair catch. Receiving time can be a free kick field goal attempt (which requires the defense to line up further back, similar to a kickoff) or an untimed snap from scrimmage.
In this case, punt returner Delius Davis was attempting to make a fair catch on a punt near the Chargers' 42-yard line when he was intercepted by Tremon Smith, resulting in a 15-yard personal foul penalty and a 15-yard personal foul penalty at the Broncos' 43. Executed.
Rather than eject Justin Herbert for a Hail Mary, Harbaugh kicked a 57-yard fair-catch kick field goal that Dicker converted.
“It's cool. I didn't know that was a thing,” Dicker said. “It was fun to go out there. It was fun to be a part of that scenario. If there was a penalty, I thought it would be.”
The kicker praised special teams coach Ryan Ficken, who has the Chargers practice the play from time to time.
“Everyone was trying to figure out what was going on,” linebacker Bud Dupree said. “We knew he could do it. We just didn't understand. Was it going to be two points, three points, or could he get the ball on No. 1?” We didn't know.”
Even if there is no penalty for a fair catch kick, if time is up when the punt returner calls a fair catch, the receiving team can elect to take a fair catch kick, but since there was no penalty, the untimed offense There is no snap option. .
The last time a free kick field goal was attempted was in 2019. Panthers kicker Joey Sly misses from 60 yards..
But to find the last one, you have to go all the way back to 1976, when Ray Worthing made a 45-yard attempt for the then-San Diego Chargers.
