The Denver Broncos appeared to be on their way to a fifth straight win and a play-off berth with an impressive start against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.

A bizarre scenario on the final play of the first half, however, helped spark a Chargers' comeback.

Cameron Dicker converted the first successful fair-catch kick in the NFL since 1976, and the Chargers rallied for a 34-27 victory over the Broncos to improve to 9-6 and move closer to a play-off spot.

Gus Edwards rushed for two touchdowns and Justin Herbert threw for 284 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles outscored Denver 21-6 after half-time.

The Broncos (9-6), who could have clinched a play-off berth with a win, looked like they were going to go into half-time with a 21-10 lead, but that was before Dicker kicked a 57-yard field goal on a free play after a fair catch.

The seldom-seen play allows the team that has just called for a fair catch to try a free kick from the line of scrimmage for three points while the defensive players stand 10 yards back.

A rare fair catch free kick results in a Cameron Dicker 57-yard FG for the @Chargers

It's the first free kick FG since 1976! pic.twitter.com/yb0cyPuKnR

— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024

Denver got off to a fast start, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions, but managed just six first downs after half-time as its four-game winning streak came to an end.

Bo Nix was 29 of 40 for 263 yards with two touchdowns for the Broncos, who were swept in the regular-season series by the Chargers, giving Los Angeles the tie-breaker for the play-offs.