The Chargers take advantage of an obscure NFL rule with a final free kick goal in 1976

Is it really Thursday Night Football if there isn't some sort of weirdness?

Well, Thursday's Denver Broncos-Los Angeles Chargers game had an event that last happened in 1976.

With eight seconds left in the half and the Broncos leading 21-10, they pushed the ball away in hopes that time would expire and send both teams to the locker room.

Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker, 11, is congratulated by teammate Josh Harris, 47, after scoring his fifth field goal of the game against the visiting Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Saturday December 23, 2023. (Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images)

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The good news is that the clock has reached zero – the bad news, however, is that Denver was called for fair catch interference.

Of course, a half can't end on a defensive penalty or a flag from the kicking team, so the Chargers had the opportunity to perform a “fair kick” after the penalty pushed them back 15 meters.

Cameron Dicker was able to line up for a 57-yard kick without any sort of rush, not without some confusion on both sidelines – in fact, the ball didn't even need to be snapped. Essentially, it was as much of a practice rehearsal as a real kick could be.

Cameron Dicker #11 of the Los Angeles Chargers reacts after scoring a field goal during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Harry Comment/Getty Images)

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Dicker, of course, did, and it was more of an eight-point lead for Denver before halftime instead of a 21-10 win.

Ironically, the last successful fair catch kick was in 1976 by none other than San Diego Chargers kicker Ray Wersching.

It was the 27th fair kick recorded in NFL history, including the playoffs, and only the seventh that went through the uprights. The last attempt before Thursday was in 2019, when Joey Slye missed from 60 yards.

Dicker's kick is now the longest fair kick in NFL history, surpassing Paul Hornung's 52-yard boot in 1964.

Cameron Dicker #11 of the Los Angeles Chargers takes the kickoff during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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There were nine failed attempts between the Chargers' two free kicks, but this one was the shortest attempt. It is not uncommon for the kick to reach over 70 yards, since good catches are normally taken on the opposite side of the field.

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