<p style="font-weight: 400;">On Thursday night, Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker made NFL history with the longest fair-catch free-kick during the Chargers 34-27 victory over the Denver Broncos.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Down 21-10, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw an interception late in the second quarter. But after Denver failed to make a first down and punted with eight seconds left in the half, Denver cornerback Tremon Smith was called for interfering with a fair catch attempted by the Chargers. The 15-yard penalty gave the Chargers the ball at their own 47-yard line, and Dicker converted a 57-yard fair-catch field goal.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Understanding the rule the Chargers utilized on the fair catch / free kick 📝 <a href="https://t.co/RsHUj06jYm">pic.twitter.com/RsHUj06jYm</a></p>
<p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1869952220596449529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
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<p style="font-weight: 400;">“After a fair catch is made, or is awarded as a result of fair-catch interference, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play by either: (a) fair-catch kick (dropkick or placekick without a tee) from the spot of the catch (or the succeeding spot after the enforcement of applicable penalties) or (b) snap from the spot of the catch &#8230;” the NFL rulebook <a href="https://operations.nfl.com/media/3277/2018-nfl-rulebook_final-version.pdf">states</a>.</p>
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<p style="font-weight: 400;">The longest previous fair catch free kick was a 52-yarder by the Green Bay Packers Paul Hornung in 1962, the year the Packers went 11-1 and won the NFL championship.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said the free kick was his favorite football rule.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;It was awesome,&#8221; Dicker <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43068684/obscure-rule-leads-chargers-making-nfl-first-fair-catch-kick-1976">said</a>. &#8220;It was funny to be in that scenario and just be like, &#8216;Huh, there&#8217;s no lineup there. This looks a little weird,&#8217; but it was really cool.&#8221;</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Everybody was trying to figure out what was going on,” Chargers outside linebacker Bud Dupree confessed. “We knew he could make it. We just didn&#8217;t understand. Was it going to be a two-point or three-point, or did we get the ball on the 1? We didn&#8217;t know.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Man, I don&#8217;t know whose idea it was to kick that, but they know ball,” Chargers running back Gus Edwards marveled. “I was confused as s***. I ain&#8217;t ever seen that before.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Interestingly enough, the last successful fair catch free kick was made by Ray Wersching of the then-San Diego Chargers in 1976.</p>


NFL: DEC 01 Chargers at Falcons

‘I Ain’t Ever Seen That Before’: NFL History Made On Thursday Night Football

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-harbaugh-leaves-michigan-takes-nfl-job-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Harbaugh</a> put his faith front and center in his first statement about taking the job as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a lengthy </span><a href="https://www.chargers.com/news/chargers-name-jim-harbaugh-michigan-head-coach"><span style="font-weight: 400;">press release</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from the Chargers on Wednesday, the former University of Michigan head coach — who took the Wolverines to the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">school&#8217;s first national championship since 1997 earlier this month — gave Los Angeles fans a glimpse into what he prioritizes as a leader, with faith right at the top.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;The only job you start at the top is digging a hole, so we know we&#8217;ve got to earn our way,” Harbaugh’s statement read. &#8220;Be better today than yesterday. Be better tomorrow than today.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;My priorities are faith, family and football, and we are going to attack each with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This organization is putting in the work — investing capital, building infrastructure and doing everything within its power to win. Great effort equals great results, and we&#8217;re just getting started.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the statement, the new head coach noted the path his career took — from playing for the San Diego Chargers as a quarterback from 1999-2000 to working as a head coach at USD, Stanford and the 49ers before taking the top job in Michigan — and how being back with the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chargers and Spanos family &#8220;feels like home.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Team owner Dean Spanos said </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harbaugh is &#8220;football personified, and I can think of no one better to lead the Chargers forward.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;The son of a coach, brother of a coach and father of a coach who himself was coached by names like Schembechler and Ditka, for the past two decades Jim has led hundreds of men to success everywhere he&#8217;s been — as their coach,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And today, Jim Harbaugh returns to the Chargers, this time as our coach. Who has it better than us?&#8221;</span></p>
<p>On Wednesday, ESPN and NFL Insider <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1750303420454477993?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Schefter</a> finally confirmed after weeks of speculation that Harbaugh would indeed fill the head coach vacancy after Brandon Staley and Chargers GM Tom Telesco were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chargers-staley-fired-31e9c0d0a52ea7903bdf0d8fccdcdaec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> before the 2023 season was over. The Chargers&#8217; season ended with a dismal 5-12 record.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/green-bay-packers-star-hopes-kids-who-look-up-to-him-find-a-relationship-with-christ-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Bay Packers Star Hopes Kids Who Look Up To Him Find A Relationship With Christ Too</a></strong></p>


Ohio State v Michigan

Jim Harbaugh Puts Faith Front And Center In Statement About Becoming Chargers’ New Head Coach

Jim Harbaugh Puts Faith Front And Center In Statement About Becoming Chargers' New Head Coach

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‘I Ain’t Ever Seen That Before’: NFL History Made On Thursday Night Football

Jim Harbaugh Puts Faith Front And Center In Statement About Becoming Chargers’ New Head Coach