Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
41
FINAL
34
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Arizona Cardinals narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 41-34, showcasing their offensive firepower and resilience. Both teams were eager to set the tone for the 2026 season, but the Cardinals emerged victorious in a tightly contested battle.
Jacoby Brissett led the charge for Arizona, throwing for an impressive 353 yards and three touchdowns, proving to be a pivotal force in the Cardinals' strategy. Michael Wilson was his favorite target, racking up 146 receiving yards and making critical plays when it mattered most. Jeremiyah Love contributed on the ground with 56 rushing yards, adding balance to the Cardinals' offensive attack.
Defensively, Budda Baker was a standout for Arizona, recording eight total tackles and snagging an interception that shifted momentum in favor of the Cardinals. The turning point came in the fourth quarter when Baker's interception set up a touchdown drive, giving Arizona the lead and ultimately sealing the victory. Although Akheem Mesidor of the Chargers tallied two sacks, it wasn't enough to thwart the Cardinals' offensive rhythm as they held on for the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacoby Brissett | QB | 26 | 20 | 77% | 353 | 3 | 0 | 156.7 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 38 | 25 | 66% | 319 | 1 | 2 | 78.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 12 | 56 | 4.7 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 21 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Tyler Allgeier | HB | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 22 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Joe Mixon | HB | 10 | 29 | 2.9 | — | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Jacoby Brissett | QB | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Wilson | WR | 6 | 146 | 24.3 | 102 | 1 | 95 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 6 | 117 | 19.5 | 56 | 2 | 50 | 1 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 7 | 63 | 9.0 | 16 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 32 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kendrick Bourne | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Kimani Vidal | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budda Baker | SS | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Wingard | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Starling Thomas V | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Sweat | REDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Melton | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kader Kohou | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kitan Crawford | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eku Leota | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Burch | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bud Dupree | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dante Stills | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Baron Browning | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Garrett Williams | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Gibbens | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R.J. Mickens | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Dicker | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 51 |
| Chad Ryland | K | 2 | 2 | 5 | 54 |

