Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
63
FINAL
38
Los Angeles
Chargers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-octane Week 1 matchup, the Arizona Cardinals triumphed over the Los Angeles Chargers with a commanding score of 63-38. The game set the tone for the 2026 season, showcasing the Cardinals' explosive offense and leaving the Chargers searching for answers on defense.
C.J. Stroud was the standout performer for Arizona, throwing for an impressive 562 yards and a staggering eight touchdowns. His accuracy and poise carved through the Chargers' secondary, while LaDainian Tomlinson also shone for Los Angeles, amassing 163 rushing yards to complement his receiving prowess, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Cardinals' offensive onslaught.
Defensively, the Cardinals were led by Budda Baker, who recorded four total tackles, but it was the relentless pressure and opportunistic play that tilted the game in their favor. The turning point came in the second quarter when Stroud connected on three consecutive touchdown passes, pushing the Cardinals to a lead they would never relinquish. Despite a valiant effort from the Chargers, including a sack from Justin Eboigbe, their defense struggled to contain Arizona’s firepower throughout the contest.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 17 | 16 | 94% | 562 | 8 | 0 | 158.3 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 25 | 16 | 64% | 234 | 3 | 0 | 133.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 27 | 163 | 6.0 | 50 | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 8 | 163 | 20.4 | 141 | 2 | 69 | 2 |
| KJ Hamler | WR | 3 | 159 | 53.0 | 48 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | WR | 2 | 124 | 62.0 | 32 | 1 | 73 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 3 | 120 | 40.0 | 31 | 1 | 65 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 6 | 85 | 14.2 | 45 | 4 | 56 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 1 | 78 | 78.0 | 27 | 0 | 78 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Taysom Hill | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karson Sharar | WILL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Peterson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antonio Cromartie | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Proctor | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charvarius Ward Sr | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Darius Robinson | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deane Leonard | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Baron Browning | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Weeks | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Ryland | K | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 62 |
| JK Scott | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

