The Arizona Cardinals opened their season with a 26-14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, earning an unexpected win against a team that had been favored to fare better. Arizona held a 13-7 advantage at the break, then shut out Los Angeles in the fourth quarter.
Each team ran for a touchdown in the first period, including the first NFL touchdown by Arizona rookie running back Jeremiyah Love. Near the end of the second quarter, the Chargers tried to tie the game at 10 from the Cardinals’ 3-yard line, but Justin Herbert was sacked on a fourth-down attempt ordered by coach Jim Harbaugh. Arizona responded with a field goal before halftime.
With 12:28 left, Simi Fehoko blocked JK Scott’s punt, and Arizona recovered at the Los Angeles 3. Jacoby Brissett followed with a touchdown pass to Trey McBride, making the score 23-14. Andrew Wingard intercepted Herbert on the next Chargers possession, and Arizona stopped Los Angeles on another fourth-down play near the goal line.
Brissett threw to six receivers, while McBride, Kendrick Bourne and Michael Wilson each had at least five catches. The Athletic’s Austin Mock had projected Arizona for 4.4 wins, the NFL’s lowest total, and identified its defense as a concern after the prior season’s second-half struggles. The source provided no further details about the win’s effect on either team’s season.