NFL's Rare Fair-Catch Kick: A Halftime Surprise

Ever heard of a fair-catch free kick in football? It's a rare thing, used only a handful of times in hundreds of games. Before last night, only one team had successfully pulled it off in the last 48 years. That's right, just one! Out of 16 attempts, only one succeeded. But last night, the Chargers' kicker, Cameron Dicker, changed that. He kicked a crazy 57-yarder, bringing his team's score from 10 to 13. It was a big deal because it hadn't been done since 1976, when another Chargers kicker, Ray Wersching, beat the record by kicking a 52-yarder. This type of kick is tough. Kickers stand way back, and they have to kick the ball straight on, not at an angle like normal field goals. The last few tries before last night were also long shots. The Redskins' Mark Moseley, who was the NFL MVP in 1982, tried a 74-yarder once. That's longer than a football field! The Broncos' Fred Steinfort tried a 73-yarder the next year. It's not easy to make these, and most of them miss. The first time someone tried this kick was way back in 1921. Curly Lambeau of the Packers made a 35-yarder. That's how it all started. Since then, it's been used very rarely. Last night, it gave the Chargers a big boost. They needed it, too. They were behind and this kick helped them get closer to their opponents, the Broncos.