The NFL’s biggest Week 1 upset landed in Los Angeles, where the Cardinals walked in as 9.5-point underdogs and walked out with a 26-14 win over the Chargers.
Nobody expected Arizona to leave with that kind of result. The spread was the largest on the board for Week 1, and the Chargers looked like the safer bet going in. Instead, the Cardinals flipped the script and turned a game plenty of people had already penciled in for Los Angeles into a statement win.
First-year Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur has to get a huge share of the credit for his team showing up ready to play. On the other side, Jim Harbaugh is now dealing with a very different kind of opening-week conversation after a flat performance from his team. Harbaugh had been 6-0 in Week 1 during his NFL coaching career before this one.
Jacoby Brissett handled the moment well for Arizona, going 27 of 37 for 277 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Trey McBride was his top target, catching nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals also made an unexpected choice on the ground, leaning on Tyler Allgeier instead of rookie Jeremiyah Love as their main runner.
Justin Herbert’s day never found its footing. He finished 17 of 27 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and the Chargers’ run game never really got off the ground. Los Angeles also had another concern when wide receiver Ladd McConkey suffered a chest injury late and headed to the locker room.
Arizona had its own injury scare when safety Kitan Crawford was carted off in the fourth quarter, but the bigger picture belonged to the Cardinals. After a win like this, the message is clear: this team may be better than anyone thought.
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Chargers Already Face An Ugly Harbaugh Backlash After Week 1
The Chargers Week 1 loss to the Cardinals did more than spoil a home opener. A 26-14 defeat to Arizona quickly pushed Jim Harbaugh into the sort of early-season scrutiny that follows any flat start, especially with the coach pointing to his defense afterward as a major concern. For a team trying to reset under a new regime, it was the kind of opening-night stumble that makes every roster choice feel a little louder the next morning.
Breiden Fehoko turned up that volume with a social-media critique aimed at Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz, adding another layer of pressure around how the Chargers built this group. Now the attention shifts to a short-week kind of response game against the Raiders, with Harbaugh already having to calm the noise before it has much time to spread. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Sent A Message In Week 1 Few Fans Expected
Week 1 in Los Angeles gave the Cardinals something they have been chasing for a while: an early-season road win built on defense, special teams and just enough offense to keep the Chargers at arms length. A blocked punt turned into a touchdown, Jeremiyah Love got Arizona on the board early, and the Cardinals kept stacking plays that tilted the game their way long before the final whistle.
The defensive effort was the part that really stood out, with Andrew Wingard coming up with a key interception and Dante Stills delivering a sack on fourth-and-goal to slam the door on a Chargers push. For a team that entered the opener with plenty of questions, the 26-14 result was a clear reminder that Arizona may be able to win in more ways than one this season. [Read more 🡒]
Jacoby Brissett Cashed In Immediately On Cardinals Debut Win
Jacoby Brissetts first start with the Cardinals did more than give the offense a steadier feel in a 26-14 win over the Chargers. It also triggered a $285,000 bonus for playing at least half the snaps, a tidy early return on the one-year, $15.5 million contract he signed in July. Brissett handled the assignment cleanly, completing 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown as Arizona snapped into a more efficient rhythm.
For Mike LaFleur, it was his first victory as the Cardinals full-time head coach, a useful marker in a season where every early step matters. The deal also includes win incentives that top out at 10, so Brissetts debut did more than settle one game in the standings. It put a little extra attention on how quickly this partnership can keep paying off if the Cardinals keep moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]