The Arizona Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 on Sunday, September 13. They did it with ball control, a clean turnover ledger and a kicker who produced 13 of their points. Here is how the game broke down, and who delivered.
Score by quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 26 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Key scoring plays and player contributions
| Player | Team | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| J. Love | Cardinals | 5-yard rushing TD in Q1 to open the scoring |
| J. Brissett | Cardinals | 3-yard TD pass to T. McBride in Q4 |
| T. McBride | Cardinals | 3-yard receiving TD, pushing the lead to 22-14 |
| C. Ryland | Cardinals | 4 of 5 field goals (27, 34, 44, 49 yards), plus 2 extra points |
| O. Hampton | Chargers | 8-yard rushing TD in Q1 |
| J. Herbert | Chargers | 8-yard TD pass to L. McConkey in Q3 |
| L. McConkey | Chargers | 8-yard receiving TD |
| C. Dicker | Chargers | 2 extra points |
Arizona struck first through Love’s 5-yard run at 8:54 of the opening quarter. Hampton answered for Los Angeles at 4:29, and the sides were level at 7-7. From there Ryland took over. His 27-yarder and 44-yarder, the latter with four seconds left in the half, built a 13-7 lead at the break.
Herbert’s 8-yard touchdown pass to McConkey midway through the third quarter cut the gap to 16-14. That was the Chargers’ last score. Brissett found McBride from three yards out early in the fourth quarter, and Ryland’s 49-yard field goal with 2:37 remaining sealed it.
Team stats comparison
| Category | Cardinals | Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 393 | 268 |
| Plays run | 72 | 51 |
| Time of possession | 37:31 | 22:29 |
| First downs | 23 | 17 |
| Passing | 27/37, 277 yds | 17/27, 209 yds |
| Passer rating | 103.1 | 83.7 |
| Touchdown passes / interceptions | 1 / 0 | 1 / 1 |
| Rushing | 34 att, 116 yds (3.4 avg) | 21 att, 81 yds (3.9 avg) |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties | 8 for 111 yds | 7 for 64 yds |
| Field goals | 4/5 | 0/0 |
Passing game: efficiency over volume
Arizona’s passing attack completed 72.9% of its throws and produced 15 of its 23 first downs through the air. The Cardinals gained 98 of their 277 receiving yards after the catch. Their longest completion went for 33 yards. Three dropped passes kept the number from being higher.
The Chargers’ passing line was respectable on paper at 209 yards and a 63% completion rate. But they were sacked three times for 22 yards, threw an interception and averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt. Their longest completion was 26 yards, and they never found the chunk plays needed to flip field position.
Ground game and the clock
Neither team gashed the other on the ground. Arizona’s 116 yards on 34 carries averaged 3.4 per attempt, and Los Angeles managed 3.9 on 21 carries. The gap was volume and sustained drives. Arizona ran 21 more plays and held the ball for more than 15 extra minutes. The Chargers’ defense made 74 combined tackles, a sign of how long it stayed on the field.
Defense and special teams
Arizona’s defense recorded three sacks, five tackles for loss, six passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble that it recovered. It also stopped the Chargers on three fourth-down attempts, which kept Los Angeles from turning field position into points. The Cardinals also blocked a Chargers punt, and their own punter averaged 52.7 yards with a long of 61 and two touchbacks.
The Chargers’ defense hit the quarterback seven times but recorded just one sack. It forced one three-and-out all day.
Discipline
Arizona was flagged eight times for 111 yards, a figure that would sink many teams. It survived because it committed no turnovers, while the Chargers lost a fumble and threw an interception.
What it means
The win left Arizona with a fast start to the season. The Cardinals have since dropped games to Seattle, San Francisco, the New York Giants and Detroit. They are due to face the Rams on October 18, with the Rams listed as 87% favorites.