Cardinals 26, Chargers 14: Arizona Spoils the Party at SoFi
A rookie's first-drive touchdown, four Chad Ryland field goals and a fourth-quarter blocked punt carried Arizona to a Week 1 upset of the Chargers in Los Angeles.
The Chargers' 2026 season opened at SoFi Stadium with one of Week 1's genuine surprises: a 26-14 Arizona win built on ball control, special teams and a rookie running back announcing himself on his very first NFL drive.
Jeremiyah Love capped Arizona's opening possession with a 5-yard touchdown run, and the Cardinals never really let go of the game. Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, Arizona scored on four of its first five possessions and the Cardinals held the ball for 37:31 against just 22:29 for Los Angeles.
How it unfolded
The Chargers answered Love's opener quickly, with Omarion Hampton punching in a short touchdown run, but Chad Ryland field goals from 38 and 44 yards sent Arizona to halftime up 13-7, and a 34-yarder stretched it to 16-7. Justin Herbert found Ladd McConkey for an 8-yard score in the third quarter to cut it to 16-14 — McConkey finished with five catches for 82 yards before leaving late in the third with a chest injury.
The turning point came early in the fourth. With Los Angeles still within two, Simi Fehoko blocked a punt that Arizona recovered at the Chargers' 3-yard line, and Brissett hit Trey McBride for the clinching touchdown two plays later. A 49-yard Ryland field goal and an Andrew Wingard interception of Herbert near the goal line closed it out. Herbert finished with 209 yards, a touchdown and the pick, and Arizona piled up 393 total yards.
What it means
For new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, it was a statement debut — the first Cardinals head coach to win his opener since Don Coryell in 1973. Kendrick Bourne added eight catches for 75 yards in his Arizona debut. For the Chargers, the concerns are immediate: a defense that rarely got off the field, a stalled second-half offense and McConkey's health to monitor before they host the Raiders in Week 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKqM7fT42uk