Cameron Dicker, the Chargers' Third Kicker of the Season, Hits Game-Winning Field Goal Over Falcons

The Chargers improve to a 5-3 record following their Week 9 win over the Falcons.

It wasn't a pretty win by many accounts, but the Chargers ultimately got it done, beating the Falcons 20-17 thanks in part to Cameron Dicker's game-winning field goal with three seconds left in regulation.

While there's no style points in how you win, there were moments of doubt when it looked like Dicker wouldn’t get his opportunity to attempt the game-winner.

After picking up three first downs on the Chargers' final possession with time expiring, running back Austin Ekeler fumbled at the Falcons' 22-yard line with 46 second left.

But as the Falcons scooped the ball and attempted to run it back, defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham couldn’t hang onto the ball and gave it right back to the Chargers.

After a wild turn of events, the Chargers would get the ball back at the Falcons' 43-yard line, now needing to gain yardage to get within field goal range.

On the first play following the two fumbles, Herbert dropped back and hit Joshua Palmer for a 22-yard pickup, reaching the 21-yard line. After one more rushing attempt by Ekeler to pickup a few more yards, on came Dicker for the 37-yard field goal attempt in which he put it right through the uprights to secure the walk-off victory.

"We're going to set the NFL record for game balls for kickers," Chargers coach Brandon Staley said after the win.

The Chargers got off to a rough start yet again, falling behind by 10 points early on. It marked the fourth consecutive game in which they've trailed by double digits in the first quarter.

However, the second quarter was a different story for the Chargers as they engineered 14 points to go into halftime with a 14-10 lead, flipping the game in their favor.

Entering Sunday's contest at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Chargers knew they were going to have to win ugly and they did just that. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were both out due to injury, putting the team's depth to the test. Yet, Herbert still completed 30-of-43 passes (70%) for 245 yards and one touchdown.

"This isn't exclusive to any team, it's hard every week in the NFL, and we're learning that as a club," Staley said of the injuries. "Since I've been the head coach, we've played in a bunch of close ones, and we're comfortable in this space. When you have as many people go down as we have throughout the season and you go on the road, it's not going to be poetic."

Palmer, the third-round pick from the Chargers' 2021 draft class, entered the game as the team's No. 1 wide receiver and he delivered when it mattered most. Palmer was Herbert's go-to option on third down, taking control of the X position that Williams typically plays. Palmer's 106 receiving yards mark a career-high. His eight receptions are the second-most he's had in a game.

Ekeler saw a team-high 21 touches that went for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Ekeler has been the driving force of the offense this season and that continued as he's now scored 10 touchdowns in his last five games. He has five consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, marking the longest active streak in the NFL.

"It's never easy in the NFL and that's a really good football team that we played against," Herbert said. "But for those guys to be able to step up and deal with punches, the adversity and answer, I thought that was huge for us."

Defensively, the Chargers made the adequate adjustments in the second half to hold the Falcons to just seven points across the final two quarters. But their biggest issues stemmed from having little to no answers for slowing down the Falcons' lethal rushing attack, which totaled 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

In three of the Chargers' last four games, they’ve allowed over 200 rushing yards to their opposition.

Injury roundup

• Defensive lineman Austin Johnson was carted off the field late in the third quarter. Staley said it's a knee injury (MCL), but that they'll know more about the severity on Monday.
• Left tackle Trey Pipkins left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Pipkins has been dealing with a sprained MCL the last few weeks.

Looking Ahead

• The Chargers improve to a record of 5-3 and will face the 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 10 as San Francisco comes off their bye week.

---

*Get your Chargers tickets from SI Tickets by clicking here

Read more from Charger Report:

• Live In-Game Updates: Chargers at Falcons Week 9
• Pregame Report: Chargers at Falcons Week 9
• Chargers at Falcons Game Day Betting Odds: Week 9 Point Spread, Moneyline, Over/Under
• Chargers at Falcons Week 9 Game Prediction
• Chargers Place TE Donald Parham Jr. on Injured Reserve, Sign WR Keelan Doss to Active Roster

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Charger Report. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel for more Chargers coverage.