By Darin Hayes The “Holy Roller” remains one of the most controversial and bizarre plays in NFL history, a moment of pure chaos that forever changed the league’s rulebook. It all unfolded on September 10, 1978, in a thrilling AFC West showdown between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers.
Holy Roller 3 frame 11 Sep 1978, Mon Daily Times-Advocate (Escondido, California) Newspapers.com
With just 10 seconds remaining in the game, the Chargers led 20-14, and the Raiders were on the San Diego 14-yard line. Raiders quarterback Ken “The Snake” Stabler, under immense pressure and facing a potential loss, fumbled the ball forward. What happened next was a series of improbable events that stunned the crowd and infuriated the Chargers.
The ball bounced toward the goal line, where Raiders running back Pete Banaszak appeared to bat it further downfield. As the ball continued to roll, tight end Dave Casper, a Pro Bowl player known for his sure hands, seemed to deliberately kick and push the ball with his foot toward the end zone. The officials, caught off guard by the surreal sequence, ruled that both Banaszak’s and Casper’s actions were legal. The bouncing, chaotic fumble eventually found its way into the end zone, where Casper fell on it for a game-tying touchdown. With the ensuing extra point, the Raiders secured an improbable 21-20 victory.
The Chargers were left in disbelief, arguing that the play was a clear case of illegal batting and forward progression. The outrage from the Chargers’ sideline and fans was immediate and intense. After the game, Chargers coach Don Coryell dubbed the play the “Holy Roller,” a term that perfectly captured its combination of divine intervention and sheer luck.
The fallout was swift. The NFL’s competition committee, acknowledging the absurdity of the play, instituted a new rule for the following season: an intentional forward fumble by the offense on fourth down or in the final two minutes of either half would result in a loss of down at the spot of the fumble. This new rule, officially known as Rule 8, Section 7, Article 5, ensured that the “Holy Roller” could never be repeated, solidifying its place as a one-of-a-kind moment in football lore.