Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
40
FINAL
34
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Arizona Cardinals snuck past the Los Angeles Chargers with a final score of 40-34. Both teams fought hard, but the Cardinals emerged victorious, setting the tone for an exciting 2026 season ahead.
Justin Herbert showcased his explosive talent, throwing for 377 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Chargers' offense. However, it was Jeremiyah Love who stole the show on the ground for Arizona, racking up an impressive 148 rushing yards. Ladd McConkey contributed significantly for Los Angeles with 118 receiving yards, but the Cardinals' balanced attack proved too much to handle.
Defensively, the Cardinals made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor, particularly with Josh Sweat's two sacks and Will Johnson's interception. The game's turning point came in the fourth quarter when Johnson's interception halted a potential game-tying drive for the Chargers, allowing Arizona to maintain their lead and secure the win. Overall, both defenses showed flashes of brilliance, but Arizona's timely plays sealed their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 23 | 14 | 61% | 377 | 4 | 1 | 126.3 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 19 | 14 | 74% | 217 | 2 | 1 | 124.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 14 | 148 | 10.6 | 17 | 2 | 66 | 0 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 7 | 9 | 1.3 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reggie Virgil | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 5 | 118 | 23.6 | 12 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 2 | 86 | 43.0 | 30 | 2 | 72 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 64 | 1 | 69 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 2 | 73 | 36.5 | 10 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | WR | 3 | 68 | 22.7 | 26 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 4 | 67 | 16.8 | 50 | 2 | 39 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 20 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Reggie Virgil | WR | 1 | 22 | 22.0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Omar Cooper Jr | WR | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Sweat | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Troy Andersen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Proctor | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wydett Williams Jr | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Johnson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dalvin Tomlinson | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kei'Trel Clark | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kitan Crawford | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deane Leonard | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Burch | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JK Scott | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chad Ryland | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 27 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

