Before last night, it had been 48 years since an NFL team successfully converted a fair-catch free kick. In the interim, nine consecutive fair-catch free kicks had failed (including the postseason).
Before Chargers kicker Ray Wersching’s 45-yard try went through the goalposts in 1976, six had failed. That makes 15 out of 16 unsuccessful fair-catch free kicks before last night’s 57-yarder from Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker cut the Broncos’ lead from 21-10 to 21-13.
It was a record, beating Hall of Fame Packers kicker Paul Hornung’s 52-yard fair-catch free kick from 1964.
The first attempt after Wersching’s came in 1979, when Washington kicker Mark Moseley (the 1982 NFL MVP, somehow) tried a 74-yard fair-catch free kick. Seventy-four yards. As a straight-on kicker.
The next year, Fred Steinfort of the Broncos tried a 73-yarder.
The most recent attempt before Thursday night happened in 2019, when Panthers kicker Joey Slye tried a 60-yard fair-catch free kick.
The first ever fair-catch free kick was attempted in 1921, by Curly Lambeau of the Packers. It was good from 35 yards.
It’s rarely used. Even more rarely it works. On Thursday night, an unexpected three points gave the Chargers a much-needed spark entering halftime.
