Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
30
FINAL
55
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-octane opener for the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Chargers triumphed over the Arizona Cardinals with a decisive 55-30 victory. Both teams were eager to set the tone for the season, but it was the Chargers who dominated the matchup, showcasing their offensive prowess right out of the gate.
Justin Herbert led the charge for Los Angeles, throwing for 295 yards and four touchdowns, proving once again why he’s considered one of the league's elite quarterbacks. Jeremiyah Love stood out for the Cardinals, racking up an impressive 104 rushing yards and 139 receiving yards, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Chargers' explosive offense.
Defensively, the Chargers were impactful, with Derwin James Jr. leading the team with eight total tackles and Akheem Mesidor contributing two sacks to disrupt the Cardinals' rhythm. The turning point came in the second quarter when Herbert connected for two quick touchdowns, pushing the lead to a comfortable margin that the Cardinals could never recover from. Los Angeles' defense effectively limited Arizona’s opportunities, sealing the victory and starting their season on a high note.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 27 | 15 | 56% | 295 | 4 | 1 | 118.0 |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 33 | 18 | 55% | 224 | 1 | 1 | 73.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 26 | 104 | 4.0 | 19 | 3 | 26 | 0 |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | — | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 6 | 22 | 3.7 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 9 | 139 | 15.4 | 125 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 7 | 132 | 18.9 | 62 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 2 | 54 | 27.0 | 19 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 28 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 5 | 42 | 8.4 | 12 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith | WR | 1 | 39 | 39.0 | 10 | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Max Melton | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Barrett | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dru Phillips | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tony Jefferson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R.J. Mickens | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kei'Trel Clark | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Ryland | K | 1 | 1 | 1 | 56 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 4 | 4 | 5 | 48 |

