Jamaal Charles Passes to Himself - Real or Fake?

There's a video of Kansas City Chief running back Jamaal Charles in Pumas catching his own 45 yard pass. 

This is a pretty awesome feat for anyone, including NFL players.  Charles is one of the best backs in the NFL and (as a former track star) a very fast guy, but since we never saw the ball actually leave his hand, nor did we see it in flight until he catches it, could it have been faked?  Is it actually possible for him to have caught his own pass 45 yards down the field?  This isn't a feat made to look obviously fake, like Michael Vick throwing a ball out of the stadium, but is something that is in the realm of possibility.  Let’s look at the physics behind what he did.

There are two factors to look at in determining whether this feat is possible or not.  Can Charles realistically run that fast and can Charles throw that ball that high and far?

Let's see if our analysis can help determine if this is possible or not.  Warning, lots of math ahead!

Ben Watson and the Pythagorean Theorem - AFC Divisional Game Patriots vs. Broncos Jan 14, 2006

The 2005 divisional playoff game (January 14, 2006) between the Patriots and the Broncos featured Patriots TE Ben Watson making one of the greatest hustle plays I had ever seen in my life.  Watch below:

 

A great play, though ultimately for naught as Denver maintained possession at the 1 yard line and would ultimately punch it in on a Mike Anderson TD run.  New England would go on to lose the game, snapping Tom Brady's streak of 10 playoff wins without a loss.

How Far Did Ben Watson Run?

Linebacker Tedy Bruschi said, "We saw Ben was on the other side of the field so he basically had to run like 120 yards, even longer than that, to get that."

A great hustle play for sure, but how far did Ben Watson actually run on that play, and how much further did he go than Champ Bailey, one of the fastest players in the NFL?

Positioning of Watson and Bailey at the time of the interception