In the second week of the 1978 season, a game between the Raiders and Chargers at San Diego Stadium ended in wild and peculiar fashion. After a scoreless opening quarter, the Chargers scored two touchdowns to lead, 13-7, at halftime. That score remained unchanged until the fourth, when a TD run by San Diego’s Hank Bauer made it 20-7. Then the John Madden-coached Raiders made their move: quarterback Ken Stabler threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Morris Bradshaw to make it 20-14. With 10 seconds left, the margin was still 6 points, but the Raiders had a final chance, with the ball on the Chargers 14. Stabler went back to throw but was about to be sacked; but before he went down, Stabler intentionally tossed the ball forward by under-handing it; a teammate dove for the ball and shoveled it closer to the end zone. Tight end Dave Casper then kicked the ball to himself in the end zone for a touchdown and a 21-20 Raiders win. The play, which became known as “The Holy Roller,” led to an NFL rule change prohibiting any player besides the fumbler, from the two-minute warning onward, from advancing the ball. ― NFL 100
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