Page "San Diego Chargers" Paragraph 9

1978 was marked by the " Holy Roller " game, or as Chargers fans call it, the " Immaculate Deception ".

It was a game-winning play executed by the Oakland Raiders against the Chargers on September 10, in San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium.

With 10 seconds left in the game, the Raiders had possession of the ball at the Chargers ' 14-yard line, down 20 – 14.

Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler took the snap and found himself about to be sacked by Chargers linebacker Woodrow Lowe on the 24-yard line.

Stabler fumbled the ball forward, and it rolled forward towards the San Diego goal line.

Running back Pete Banaszak tried to recover the ball on the 12-yard line, but could not keep his footing, and the ball was pushed even closer to the end zone.

Raiders tight end Dave Casper was the next player to reach the ball but he also could not get a hand on it.

He batted and kicked the ball into the end zone, where he fell on it for the game-tying touchdown as time ran out.

With the ensuing extra point by kicker Errol Mann, the Raiders won 21 – 20.

What many Charger fans believed should have been called an incomplete pass ( and possibly intentional grounding ) was seen as a fumble and the rest of the play involved batting of the ball forward towards the end zone where the Raiders ultimately recovered it for a touchdown.

As a result of this play, NFL rules were changed so that, in the last two minutes of a half or game, the only offensive player allowed to advance a fumble is the player who originally fumbled.

If any other offensive player recovers the fumble and advances the ball, after the play the line of scrimmage is the spot of the original fumble.