Cardinals 26, Chargers 14: Brissett and McBride Deliver an Upset
Arizona controls possession, Trey McBride catches nine passes, and the Cardinals repeatedly stop Los Angeles on fourth down.
2026 NFL Week 1 · Final: Arizona Cardinals 26, Los Angeles Chargers 14. Official team coverage · AP game report
Arizona took charge of the afternoon
The Cardinals opened Mike LaFleur's tenure with a result that demanded attention. Arizona beat the Chargers 26 to 14 behind 277 passing yards from Jacoby Brissett, 95 receiving yards from Trey McBride and a defense that repeatedly denied Los Angeles when the field became short and the stakes became large.
Arizona gained 393 yards to the Chargers' 268 and ran 72 offensive plays to Los Angeles' 51. The Cardinals did not need a frantic finish to pull off the win. They built possessions, kept adding points and made the Chargers solve increasingly difficult situations as the game moved toward its conclusion.
Follow the teams: Arizona Cardinals · Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers’ fourth quarter unraveled
Los Angeles was still within reach at 16 to 14 after Justin Herbert found Ladd McConkey for an eight yard touchdown. But the Chargers' next chances did not become a comeback. A blocked punt, an interception and failed fourth down attempts repeatedly returned control to Arizona.
The Cardinals' earlier goal line stand had already denied Herbert a scoring opportunity before halftime, with Dante Stills finishing the fourth down play with a sack. Those stops mattered because Arizona often settled for field goals itself. Preventing a Chargers touchdown protected the value of each smaller addition to the Cardinals' lead.
Every scoring play
Quarter / clock | Scoring play | ARI : LAC |
Q1 8:49 | Jeremiyah Love 5 Yd Rush (Chad Ryland Kick) | 7 : 0 |
Q1 4:22 | Omarion Hampton 8 Yd Rush (Cameron Dicker Kick) | 7 : 7 |
Q2 6:51 | Chad Ryland 27 Yd Field Goal | 10 : 7 |
Q2 0:00 | Chad Ryland 44 Yd Field Goal | 13 : 7 |
Q3 7:25 | Chad Ryland 34 Yd Field Goal | 16 : 7 |
Q3 6:03 | Ladd McConkey 8 Yd pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker Kick) | 16 : 14 |
Q4 11:44 | Trey McBride 3 Yd pass from Jacoby Brissett (Chad Ryland Kick) | 23 : 14 |
Q4 2:33 | Chad Ryland 49 Yd Field Goal | 26 : 14 |
Compare the outcome with our earlier coverage: Cardinals 26, Chargers 14: Week 1 Prop Results
Brissett kept finding the available answer
Brissett completed 27 of 37 attempts, threw one touchdown and avoided an interception. McBride caught nine of 13 targets for 95 yards and a score. Kendrick Bourne caught all eight targets for 75 yards, giving Arizona another dependable route to a useful gain.
The Cardinals ran for 116 yards without a single runner producing a huge individual total. Tyler Allgeier had 61 yards on 17 carries, while rookie Jeremiyah Love gained 41 on 11 and scored the opening touchdown. This was control through accumulated successful plays rather than dependence on one enormous rushing performance.
The complete team comparison
Statistic | ARI | LAC |
First downs | 23 | 17 |
Offensive plays | 72 | 51 |
Total yards | 393 | 268 |
Yards per play | 5.5 | 5.3 |
Passing yards, net | 277 | 187 |
Rushing yards | 116 | 81 |
Rushing attempts | 34 | 21 |
Yards per rush | 3.4 | 3.9 |
Third downs, converted / attempts | 6 / 14 | 2 / 8 |
Fourth downs, converted / attempts | 0 / 0 | 0 / 3 |
Red zone TDs / trips | 2 / 5 | 2 / 3 |
Turnovers committed | 0 | 2 |
Sacks allowed / yards lost | 1 / 0 | 3 / 22 |
Penalties / yards | 8 / 111 | 7 / 64 |
Possession | 37:31 | 22:29 |
The efficiency gap had several causes
Herbert completed 17 of 27 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and an interception while taking three sacks. The Chargers ran for 81 yards and repeatedly came away empty when they chose to continue drives on fourth down. Arizona's ability to keep the ball meant Los Angeles had fewer opportunities to recover from each failed possession.
Chad Ryland made four field goals. Those kicks did not make Arizona's red zone offense perfect, but they kept the scoreboard moving. For the Chargers, opportunities that produced no points became increasingly costly. The result was a game in which steady scoring beat a handful of promising but incomplete responses.
Quarterbacks and offensive leaders
Player | Week 1 production |
ARI · Jacoby Brissett | 27/37 passing, 277 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 103.1 passer rating |
ARI · Tyler Allgeier | 17 carries, 61 rushing yards, 0 TD; long 11 |
ARI · Jeremiyah Love | 11 carries, 41 rushing yards, 1 TD; long 18 |
ARI · Trey McBride | 9 catches, 95 receiving yards, 1 TD, 13 targets; long 27 |
ARI · Kendrick Bourne | 8 catches, 75 receiving yards, 0 TD, 8 targets; long 13 |
ARI · Michael Wilson | 5 catches, 56 receiving yards, 0 TD, 7 targets; long 17 |
ARI · Marvin Harrison Jr. | 1 catches, 33 receiving yards, 0 TD, 3 targets; long 33 |
LAC · Justin Herbert | 17/27 passing, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 83.7 passer rating |
LAC · Omarion Hampton | 12 carries, 43 rushing yards, 1 TD; long 14 |
LAC · Justin Herbert | 5 carries, 29 rushing yards, 0 TD; long 11 |
LAC · Ladd McConkey | 5 catches, 82 receiving yards, 1 TD, 7 targets; long 23 |
LAC · David Njoku | 5 catches, 58 receiving yards, 0 TD, 5 targets; long 15 |
LAC · Oronde Gadsden | 2 catches, 32 receiving yards, 0 TD, 2 targets; long 26 |
LAC · Tre' Harris | 3 catches, 20 receiving yards, 0 TD, 6 targets; long 11 |
All scoring and statistical tables use the final ESPN box score and play by play
Passing yards in the team table are net of sack yardage. Quarterback passing yards are gross. Receiving targets and player roles describe this game; they are not season projections.
Fantasy roles came into focus
McBride's 13 targets are the strongest receiving workload signal in this game. Bourne's eight catches on eight targets were efficient, while Michael Wilson added five catches for 56 yards on seven targets. Brissett's accuracy supported several receivers without requiring a large touchdown total.
Love's rushing touchdown was an encouraging debut moment, but Allgeier led Arizona in carries and rushing yards. That split deserves attention before fantasy managers project a lead role from the rookie's score alone. McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, and David Njoku caught all five targets for 58. McConkey's injury concern requires updated Chargers reporting before the next lineup decision; the game result does not settle his availability.
Continue the fantasy discussion: Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire: Best Players Available in 30 Percent or More of Leagues
Football Nation verdict
Arizona won with a connected performance: patient offense, useful receiving depth, special teams contributions and defensive stops at the most valuable moments. The Chargers need to turn short fields and fourth down decisions into actual points while protecting their possessions. Arizona hosts Seattle next, and Los Angeles hosts Las Vegas. The Cardinals have immediate evidence that LaFleur's approach can produce a competitive result. The Chargers have a division game approaching and several concrete mistakes to repair.
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