Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
7
FINAL
28
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominant performance to kick off the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Chargers topped the Arizona Cardinals 28-7. With both teams looking to set the tone for the year, the Chargers established their authority early, showcasing a potent offense and a stifling defense.
Justin Herbert led the charge for Los Angeles, throwing for 145 yards and three touchdowns, demonstrating his precision and decision-making. Omarion Hampton added balance to the offense with 78 rushing yards, while Ladd McConkey emerged as Herbert's top target, racking up 75 receiving yards. Together, they powered the Chargers' scoring efforts, leaving the Cardinals struggling to keep pace.
Defensively, the Chargers were relentless, with Kendall Williamson leading the team with three total tackles and Genesis Smith making a game-changing impact with two interceptions. The turning point came in the second quarter when Smith's second pick set up another scoring drive, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Cardinals. Overall, the Chargers' defensive prowess complemented their offensive firepower, securing a convincing win to start the season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 13 | 8 | 62% | 145 | 3 | 1 | 107.3 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 13 | 6 | 46% | 63 | 0 | 3 | 21.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 8 | 78 | 9.8 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Tyler Allgeier | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendrick Bourne | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tip Reiman | TE | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 4 | 75 | 18.8 | 6 | 3 | 43 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 2 | 57 | 28.5 | — | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Kendrick Bourne | WR | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | — | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendall Williamson | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roquan Smith | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Wingard | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Darius Robinson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Teair Tart | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| R.J. Mickens | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Ryland | K | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

