A second Chargers kicker has been named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
After Dustin Hopkins was bestowed the honor following his gutsy four-field goal performance on Monday Night Football against the Broncos, rookie replacement Cameron Dicker was named to the award for his Week 9 heroics against the Falcons.
Signed on Thursday last week, Dicker had to step in to replace both Hopkins, who remains out with the hamstring injury he suffered in the Denver game, and original replacement Taylor Bertolet, who tweaked his quad in practice leading up to the matchup with Atlanta. That gave Dicker two days of practice to prepare.
He hit both extra points and field goal attempts, a 31-yarder to tie the game and a 37-yarder to secure a victory over the Falcons. It’s Dicker’s second game-winner this season after drilling one for the Eagles in Week 5 to lift them over the Cardinals with an identical score – 20-17.
The game-winner on Sunday lifted the Chargers to 5-3. While they’ll hope that Hopkins is healthy enough to play against the 49ers, Dicker’s availability should give the team the peace of mind to let the veteran’s injury heal fully before returning.
