Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
48
FINAL
41
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Arizona Cardinals narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 48-41 in Week 1 of the 2026 season. Both teams showcased their offensive prowess, but it was the Cardinals who ultimately came out on top, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting year ahead.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals was Jeremiyah Love, who rushed for an impressive 105 yards, providing a crucial ground game that complemented their aerial attack. On the other side, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had a standout performance, throwing for 337 yards and four touchdowns, while Quentin Johnston racked up 162 receiving yards, making big plays to keep Los Angeles competitive throughout the game.
Defensively, the Cardinals made key plays that shifted the momentum in their favor. Budda Baker’s two interceptions proved pivotal, preventing the Chargers from gaining any rhythm during critical moments. With Dadrion Taylor-Demerson contributing nine total tackles, the Cardinals' defense was able to contain the Chargers just enough to hold on for the win in a high-scoring affair.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 26 | 20 | 337 | 4 | 4 | 118.2 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 19 | 13 | 228 | 3 | 1 | 126.7 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 12 | 105 | 8.8 | 2 | 22 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 14 | 54 | 3.9 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Alec Ingold | FB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Reggie Virgil | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 3 | 162 | 54.0 | 2 | 74 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 6 | 104 | 17.3 | 1 | 72 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 8 | 102 | 12.8 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Reggie Virgil | WR | 3 | 74 | 24.7 | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Tre' Harris | WR | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Alec Ingold | FB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Eugene Asante | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Sweat | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Williams | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Melton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deane Leonard | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Dye | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Ryland | K | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

