Los Angeles Chargers kicker Nick Novak opened up the Chargers and Dallas Cowboys Thursday Night Thanksgivng game by missing a field goal, and then was forced to leave the game with a back injury.
The Chargers had to look down their depth chart to back up punter, not kicker, Drew Kaser, who in four years at Texas A&M University did not attempt a single field goal whatsoever.
The 24-year-old Kaser was spotted on the sidelines warming up by kicking into a practice net, and Kaser absolutely launched one right of the net, and the CBS cameras caught it.
Tony Romo, who served better parts of ten years as the Cowboys quarterback before the emergence of Dak Prescott, was in the broadcast booth calling the game and had the best description when Kaser botched the practice kick.
Not only did Kaser get caught by the cameras with the miss, but the Chargers also elected to go for it on 4th and 13 later in the game because they didn't feel Kaser was trustworthy enough.
Luckily for the Chargers, Novak was able to return to the game later on, and managed to become the 6th high scorer in Chargers history with 503 points when he nailed a field goal from 22-yards out in the 2nd quarter to open up the scoring.
Perhaps Novak was still feeling the effects of the injury he suffered earlier on, because after Philip Rivers connected with Hunter Henry for a three-yard touchdown. Novak was brought out to nail the extra point, and missed it way left.
Novak was then forced to leave the game again, and was noted as questionable by the Chargers.
So, back in came Kaser and got a little revenge on everyone dunking on him when he sunk his first career point in the NFL, although he did miss an extra point later in the fourth quarter.
The Chargers may want address their kicking depth for the coming weeks, as Novak is 36-years-old, and was signed after the team cut Younghoe Koo in early October.
Good on Kaser for stepping in and filling in for Novak, and at least the Chargers were in control of the game during his blemishes.
(h/t The Checkdown)
