Before Cameron Dicker’s profitable 57-yarder, the final time a staff tried a fair-catch kick was the Panthers in 2019. Joey Slye had a 60-yard try throughout a London recreation.
But earlier than that, 49ers kicker Phil Dawson tried one from 71 yards in a recreation in opposition to the then-St. Louis Rams again in 2013.
San Francisco’s head coach that season?
Jim Harbaugh, in fact — a person who talked about his love for the play after Thursday night time’s 34-27 win over Denver.
“It’s my favourite rule in soccer,” Harbaugh stated. “I’ve tried to get a type of like each recreation.”
Harbaugh was maybe being a bit hyperbolic there. But it’s a scenario he’s thought loads about and had his staff ready for.
“It’s the primary one we’ve made,” Harbaugh stated. “We tried one with the 49ers, I feel it was like a 70-yarder. Mr. Dawson. I needed it so unhealthy, I attempted a 71-yarder. But it’s my favourite rule. And Cam Dicker stepped up and nailed it. And I assumed that was an enormous [for] momentum — acquired the momentum again going into halftime.”
Given all that, Harbaugh was requested if when he noticed the penalty following the honest catch, he thought, “This is my second.”
“Pretty a lot,” Harbaugh stated with a chuckle. “Pretty a lot the way it went down. And I used to be actually glad, too, as a result of coach [Ryan] Ficken had gone over it this week. He doesn’t go over it each week, however this week, they’d gone over that. So, [we did] take a timeout and get issues simply fully dialed in.
“But, yeah, I used to be making an attempt to do the mathematics in my head — the place’s that flag? And it was going to be on their facet of the 50. So that is our probability, that is our second. And the opposite choice’s a Hail Mary [on the] untimed down. But simply, we’ve acquired Cameron Dicker. So, that’s our man.”
A reporter began to ask about one other topic, however Harbaugh wasn’t fairly finished.
“The benefit of the free kick is you don’t have to return 8 yards from the snap, both,” he stated. “You get it proper on the spot. So, it’s nice work.”
Of course, it was additionally the primary transformed try since 1976. Especially as a result of it got here in a win, it was a second Harbaugh received’t quickly overlook.
“It was cool,” Harbaugh stated. “That was actually cool.”
