Just before halftime of Thursday night's game, Los Angeles Chargers and denver broncosChargers punt returner Delius Davis calmly waved his arm on the punt attempt and made a fair catch. Pursuing him in coverage was Denver backup cornerback Tremon Smith, who made contact with Davis, who was attempting to handle the punt.
Instead of that play ending the first half, the violation extended the first half, resulting in one overtime down, and opened the door for one of the rarest plays in NFL history.
A play known as a “fair catch free kick.”
managed by Article 4 Article 2 Article 10 The NFL rulebook says:
After a fair catch has been made or recognized as a result of fair catch interference, the receiving team must put the ball in play by a snap or fair catch kick (drop kick or place kick without a tee) from the spot. Has options. Capture or subsequent spotting after enforcement of applicable penalties (3-9 and 11-4-3). This includes enforcement from the receiving team's 20-yard line, which applies when a fair catch is made or given in the end zone due to fair catch interference or illegal contact with the receiver after making a fair catch. Includes a 15-yard penalty.
Davis made the catch at the Chargers' 38-yard line, but a 15-yard foul for fair catch interference advanced the football to the Broncos' 47-yard line. According to the rule, subsequent fair-catch free kicks, including the 15-yard interference penalty on Davis, will be attempted “from the point of the catch or the next point after the applicable penalty has been served.”
This meant that Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker could attempt a field goal from the 47-yard line, resulting in a 57-yard attempt, but the Broncos could not attempt to block the kick.
Dicker drilled it:
As the NFL noted, it was the first successful fair-catch free kick since Ray Wersching of the San Diego Chargers made such a kick in 1976. buffalo billsfrom 45 yards.
Since then, there have been nine such attempts in the NFL, all of which have failed.
Until tonight.
