Tag: Cameron Dicker

Former Texas K Justin Tucker named to his seventh career Pro Bowl

The Texas Longhorns legend now is tied for the most Pro Bowls for a kicker in NFL history.

There isn’t a better kicker in the history of the NFL than Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens. The former Longhorn was named to his seventh career Pro Bowl on Wednesday, tying Morten Anderson with the most all-time for a kicker.

The NFL’s best kicker for quite some time has been a legendary Texas ex backed up by impressive statistics.

In 2023, Tucker is 86.1% when kicking field goals and 98% on extra points. He has the third-most field goals made in the AFC this year, 31, and the second-most extra points made in the AFC with 50.

The Super Bowl champion, who is only 34 years old, is ranked 15th all-time in field goals made and 38th in extra points made. With many seasons ahead, there is plenty of opportunity to climb the ranks.

Chargers’ Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen named 2024 Pro Bowlers

Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen were recognized for their efforts this season.

On Wednesday, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen and edge defender Khalil Mack were selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando. 

The NFL released its entire roster of Pro Bowlers which was decided by fans, players and coaches around the league. 

Mack was named to his eighth Pro Bowl and this is his second consecutive year being selected as a starter for the AFC. The veteran reached 100 career sacks while earning a new career-high with 16 sacks. His four strip-sacks are tied for second in the NFL. 

In six of the past seven seasons, Allen was named an all-star. This year, Allen set the single-season franchise record with 108 receptions, ranking fourth in the NFL in spite of missing the last three games due to injury. Additionally, he also surpassed 900 career catches in his 139th game which was faster than any other player in history.

Several Chargers players were listed as Pro Bowl alternates: Safety Derwin James Jr. (first), tackle Rashawn Slater (first), wide receiver Derius Davis (first) as a return specialist, outside linebacker Joey Bosa (second), long snapper Josh Harris (second), kicker Cameron Dicker (third) and quarterback Justin Herbert (fourth).

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ 2024 Pro Bowl selections, snubs

Keenan Allen and Khalil Made made the 2024 Pro Bowl, but many felt that Cameron Dicker was snubbed.

Two members of the Chargers were rewarded for their hard work, as Khalil Mack and Keenan Allen were selected to the 2024 Pro Bowl.

However, many felt Cameron Dicker was snubbed.

Here is how the general population reacted after the rosters were unveiled:

3 Chargers who deserve to make the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl

A few Chargers players are worthy of national recognition.

Pro Bowl voting season ends on December 26th, 2023, and while the Chargers have had an unfortunate season of difficult injuries and much-needed staffing changes, there have been several standout players who have shone through the adversity.

Here are three Chargers players who should go to the 2024 Pro Bowl.

Cameron Dicker

Dicker has been automatic since entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2022. After kicking a game-winning field goal for the Eagles while filling in for injured kicker Jake Elliot, Dicker found himself on the Chargers and finished out his season on the active roster with 100% extra points made and a field goal percentage of 95%. In 2023, Dicker continues to impress, with 100% extra points made and a field goal percentage of 96% through Week 16. In an unfortunate – but albeit fun – loss to the Bills on Dec. 23rd, Dicker made 5 of 5 field goals with a long of 53 yards. It’s been a rough special teams history for the Chargers, and it’s been a great change of pace for the team to have such a solid corps and an automatic kicker.

Khalil Mack

Mack has had an unbelievable season for the Chargers. After the dreadful loss to the Jaguars in the wild-card round of last year’s playoffs, Mack considered retiring. But thank goodness he didn’t. He has been putting up sacks and pressures like he never has before, touting career-high numbers in almost every category and landing 4th in the league in sacks and 1st in forced fumbles. Mack’s elite season has allowed the Chargers to stay in many games that would have otherwise been lost. It goes to show that greatness is often born through adversity – something that many players on this team have experienced themselves, Mack among them. This off-season will be incredibly interesting for the Chargers front office, with the hiring of a new head coach and a new general manager. He is a player that fans will want to keep their eye on since his contract comes with a massive 2024 cap hit. Players will have to be cut, and before this season, he was on the list of potential losses, but after this All-Pro level season – Mack should not be one of them.

Keenan Allen

Allen is currently injured, this has no impact on whether or not he deserves a Pro Bowl vote this season – which he most definitely does. Up until his untimely injury (and quarterback Justin Herbert’s), Allen was on pace to have a career year at the age of 32. Even after missing the Bills game in Week 16, he is still sitting at 2nd in the league for receptions, 7th in yards, and 10th in touchdowns. He has been the make-or-break player in multiple games all year – and the Herbert-to-Allen connection is explosive. Since entering the league, Allen has been a top route runner and continues to make incredible plays and get separation where other wide receivers would normally struggle. This has been the key to an otherwise struggling Chargers offense all year and was sorely missed during the Bills game. Hopefully, Allen can get back on the field and pad those stats to still hit personal records – after all, he only needs another 150 yards and a touchdown to tie his 2013 career-best.

The 2024 Pro Bowl Games kick off on February 2nd.

Social media reacts to Chargers’ 24-22 loss to Bills

Here is how social media reacted to Los Angeles’ hard-fought loss to Buffalo.

The Chargers lost to the Bills 24-22 in a nail-biting contest on Saturday night. Although the Bolts put up a good fight in Giff Smith’s debut as interim head coach, Buffalo got the last score.

Here is how social media reacted to Los Angeles’ hard-fought loss to Buffalo:

 

Instant analysis, recap of the Bills’ win over the Chargers

Instant analysis, recap of the #Bills’ win over the #Chargers:

The Buffalo Bills overcame a slow start en route to a 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.

The game started slowly for the Bills (9-6). Buffalo punted on their first three offensive possessions. Those drives netted the Bills only 56 total yards.

Meanwhile, the Chargers (5-10) put points on the board on two of their first three drives. Cameron Dicker made a 20-yard field goal to put the Chargers up 3-0 early in the first quarter. The Bills held strong in the red zone, stopping the 14-play drive just short of the end zone.

Deonte Harty fumbled a punt, which gave the Chargers the ball in plus territory. Four plays later, Los Angeles quarterback Easton Stick scored the game’s first touchdown with a one-yard rush.

Down 10-0, the Bills finally found some life. They responded quickly with a one-play drive. Bills QB Josh Allen extended the play, rolling to his right. Allen found receiver Gabe Davis in stride. Davis muscled his way into the end zone. The 57-yard score reduced the deficit to three points.

On the next drive, Buffalo utilized the run game a bit more. Running back James Cook ran three times, while Leonard Fournette toted the ball twice. The drive culminated with a Josh Allen two-yard rush. Buffalo went into halftime up 14-10.

The Chargers held strong into the second half. Allen threw an interception on Buffalo’s initial drive of the second half. Allen looked deep for wideout Stefon Diggs, throwing across his body. The pass was short, and  Chargers DB Alohi Gilman came up with the pick near midfield.

The Chargers responded with an eight-play drive. Buffalo’s defense held the damage to a minimum, only allowing another Dicker field goal. The 40-yard field goal brought the Chargers back within a point.

Buffalo’s offense kept things moving forward, with Allen completing all four passes on the drive. The most impressive pass was a deep ball to the sidelines in Davis’s direction. The 36-yard reception put the Bills on the brink of scoring. Allen plowed ahead for a one-yard score, giving Buffalo a 21-13 lead late in the third quarter.

The Bills defense once again kept the Chargers from finding the end zone. Los Angeles started the drive well, moving the ball well on the first eight plays of the drive. The Chargers moved the ball methodically, with short passes and effective rushes. Taron Johnson made two great plays, forcing drops and effectively ending the drive. Cameron Dicker made a 47-yard field goal to pull the Chargers back to 21-16.

Buffalo made multiple mistakes on their next drive. Penalties wiped out big gains for James Cook and Gabe Davis. Spencer Brown was flagged for tripping, while Mitch Morse was penalized for holding. To compound the problems, Siran Neal took a false start on the punt formation. Sam Martin punted from the back of the end zone. The Chargers took possession in Bills territory.

The Bills defense made another strong stand, limiting the Chargers to 21 yards on six plays. Los Angeles ended a fourth drive with a field goal. This time, Dicker was good from 45 yards out. Buffalo held a slim 21-19 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The fumbling issues continued for James Cook. On Buffalo’s next offensive snap, Cook had the ball ripped away. With just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Chargers had the ball in field goal range.

A series of events fell into the Bills favor on the next drive. First, the Chargers had a first down overturned, giving them a third-and-inches situation. Then, the Los Angeles center was called for a false start. Terrel Bernard then sacked Stick. Dicker, who was automatic all night, made a 53-yard field goal to put the Chargers in the lead, 22-21.

Buffalo’s offense slowly moved back down the field. A combination of short passes and short runs put the Bills in Chargers territory. Allen made a tremendous play on third down, finding a wide-open target Khalil Shakir. Shakir secured the ball as he was falling to the ground. Initially, Shakir got up and ran in for a touchdown. The play was overturned, as a Chargers defender touched Shakir just as the wideout was getting up. The Bills then drained the clock with a series of run plays. Tyler Bass made a 29-yard field goal to give Buffalo the 24-22 lead.

Buffalo’s defense closed out the final 28 seconds to give the Bills the hard-fought victory. Defense tackle Ed Oliver sacked Stick on first down. The Bills secondary deflected the second down pass. Buffalo stopped Alex Erickson after a series of laterals.

Check out the rest of Bills Wire’s instant recap:

4 takeaways from Chargers’ 24-22 loss to Bills

Here are four things to take away from the Chargers’ loss to the Bills.

The Chargers fought hard on Saturday, ultimately falling 24-22 to the Bills. Los Angeles led in time of possession but had fewer rushing, passing, and total yards than Buffalo.

Here are four things to take away from the contest.

Watch Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker’s hilarious Pro Bowl campaign video

Cameron Dicker has been one of the league’s most efficient kickers.

Pro Bowl voting is underway.

In an effort to get people’s vote for kicker Cameron Dicker, the Chargers social media put out a hilarious campaign video to promote him.

“Have you ever been victimized by a missed field goal?” while a video missed field goals from other kickers is played.

“My name is Cameron Dicker and I’ll kick for you,” Dicker adds. “50, 40, 30, doesn’t matter. I’ll make it. Rain, sleet or snow, this leg’s ready to go.”

Despite a dud of a season, Dicker has been a bright spot for the Bolts. He has converted 19 of his 20 field goal attempts with four out of five of them being from 50+ yards, and he has made all 34 of his extra points.

If you want to send Dicker to the Pro Bowl, you can vote for him here.

Chargers WR Derius Davis named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

The Chargers have the longest punt return touchdown in the NFL.

Chargers wide receiver Derius Davis was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday following a stellar performance against the Jets. 

The highlight of the rookie’s primetime outing was an 87-yard punt return touchdown, the first of his career. It was the longest punt return by any player in the NFL this season and the longest punt return by any rookie since 2017. 

The former TCU product led the league in Week 9 with 104 punt return yards and his 16.6-yard average on punt returns leads the league. Ranking second in the NFL are his 232 punt return yards.

Davis is the first Chargers rookie returner to receive the accolade since 2000 and is the first returner to win the award since 2018. The fourth-round pick continued to make history as his punt return touchdown ranked as the fifth-longest punt return in franchise history. 

Ryan Ficken breaks down Chargers’ special teams entering Week 1

Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken talked about the state of his Chargers unit.

Special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken broke down the state of the Chargers’ special teams at his Monday media availability.

First, Ficken was asked about the summer kicking competition between Cameron Dicker and Dustin Hopkins.

Dustin, first and foremost, is an elite kicker. Either way, however it shook out, we were going to lose a top kicker. We felt, as an organization, that the body of work with what Cameron has done — nothing that Hopkins hasn’t done — more of what Dicker has done, our faith and belief in him and his consistency with it. Moving forward, we thought he was the right guy for the opportunity.

Hopkins was traded to the Browns for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick prior to final roster cuts. While the coaching staff has consistently said that the two kickers were in “competition” for most of training camp, it never truly felt that way. Dicker hit about 90% of his field goal attempts throughout the summer while Hopkins had nagging injuries that caused him to sit for various periods of time. As somewhat evidenced by the Browns trade, Hopkins playing in the preseason was merely an audition for kicker-needy teams.

When asked about Dicker’s range on field goals this year, Ficken seemed very confident.

That’s something that depends on the situation. It depends on the game, the environment, the wind, indoor or outdoor and all of that. We’re very confident in his leg strength and where he can kick from, the distance. Especially with how many reps you’re going to get, those opportunities from the greater distances. I don’t think distance really plays a factor with him. He’s steady Eddie as it is.

Dicker went 21 for 22 on field goal attempts last season. From 40-49 yards, he went 6 for 6 on the year. However, range is an interesting discussion. Last year, the former Texas product missed his only attempt from 50+ yards against the Raiders. There’s not much of a sample size to go off of and one has to wonder how many 50+ yarders Dicker would actually attempt with Staley’s 4th down philosophy.

Ficken also noted the work that will have to be done to replace fullback Zander Horvath. The 2022 seventh-round pick officially signed with Pittsburgh’s practice squad yesterday.

It’s a tough replacement. I don’t think that you, necessarily, replace a Zander Horvath. It’s unfortunate — with the way that the roster is made up — to lose a really good player, in terms of special teams, as Zander. I’m very thankful for what he brought to this organization last year and how we were able to get a foundation built with him as a rookie. He’s going to do great things wherever he is at, so I’m very happy for him to have a situation. We wanted him back here, just a different situation. It just kind of works out that way. He’s going to be successful wherever he goes.

Ficken also noted that replacing Horvath will likely be done with a group of players by committee. Kickoff team and punt team coverages are the two responsibilities that the Chargers’ special teams coordinator will now be trying to fill.

On whether he’d name Derius Davis the starting returner, Ficken was a bit tepid in his response.

We have a pretty good idea of who is going to be the returner. Obviously, Derius did some good things in the preseason games. At the end of the day, we still have to make sure that we’re repping and we’re preparing the other guys, too, on this team that can handle the job because you never know what could happen, anything can happen. We’re going full throttle with the three returners that we have on this roster, to prepare them to be ready to go on Sunday, if their number gets called.

Ficken also noted that he views kick returner and punt returner as two separate positions in his philosophy. He said that he’s seen different special teams circumstances dictate the philosophy. On his previous teams, Ficken said that he’s seen one returner handle both roles and some setups where two different returners handle each job separately.

In his final remarks of the presser, Ficken stressed the importance of newly signed LB Tanner Muse on the 53-man roster.

“Yes. We expect him to be out there. That’s a big reason why we ended up bringing him here. We’re excited to have a guy such as Tanner, the way that he plays special teams, with his length and his speed and his strength. He does a great job. We expect him to be out there and be a major contributor for us.”

It’s worth noting that Muse could end up playing a lot of special teams with his experience there. Staley and Ficken have liked their “core four” special teams players to have significant roles on the roster. Daiyan Henley was dealing with a hamstring injury last week, so it’ll also be important to see if there’s any progress on his recovery when the injury reports are released. If Henley can’t go, Muse could play an even larger role than expected.