INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) After a three-win season plagued by injuries and a new coaching staff, the Arizona Cardinals were the NFL’s biggest losers in Week 1. Surprise! Led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals defeated the Jim Harbaugh-led Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 on Sunday. LaFleur became the first Cardinals coach to win in his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. He won in the same SoFi Stadium where he worked his final game as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator last year before being hired by Arizona in February. “These last few days have been an almost miserable wait,” he said. “I’m just really happy for those guys.” LaFleur spent his first 12 years in the NFL working hard as an assistant for five different teams. His older brother, Matt, begins his eighth season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Harbaugh’s older brother, Jim, coaches the New York Giants. Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown for Arizona, which added 18 new players and several new assistants. “I’m so happy we were able to go on the road and get a win,” Brissett said. “As a starting quarterback, it’s like, ‘Ugh!'” The Chargers were heavy NFL favorites by 9 1/2 points, but they played behind all game and had a miserable fourth quarter. “It’s not the start we wanted, but give the Cardinals credit,” Harbaugh said. “It will be a matter of our determination, how we recover.” Chad Ryland kicked four field goals as the Cardinals won on the road against the Chargers for the first time since 2001. His only miss was a 54-yarder when the ball hit the right upright in the second quarter. The Chargers made a mess in the fourth quarter. On their first three possessions, they had a blocked punt, Justin Herbert was intercepted, and Los Angeles fumbled on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line. They had another turnover with less than 2 minutes left. “It’s understood that every first week is like a training camp game,” linebacker Daiyan Henley said. “You never know what’s going to happen to you, but you have to be prepared for anything.” Herbert was 17 of 27 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and was sacked three times. “They played well, but it’s up to us to play better,” Herbert said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to.” The Cardinals dominated possession, 37 minutes to 22, running 72 of 51 plays for the Chargers and compiling 393 yards of offense for 268. Arizona scored on its first possession when Jeremiyah Love, the third overall pick, pressured Cam Hart in the left corner of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown run. The Chargers responded with a 9-yard touchdown run by Omarión Hampton. He got stoned at the 5-yard line, but kept going when four Cardinals failed to stop him, tying the score at 7. Arizona led 10-7 on Ryland’s 27-yard field goal in the second. Herbert was sacked by Dante Stills on fourth-and-goal with two minutes left before halftime. The Cardinals got a 42-yard pass from Ryland after Paris Johnson Jr.’s 15-yard penalty to take a 13-7 lead. After the Chargers were forced to punt on their first possession of the third, Arizona got a 34-yard pass from Ryland to extend its lead to 16-7. Los Angeles closed to within 16-14 on Herbert’s 8-yard pass to Ladd McConkey, who barely made it to the corner of the end zone. The Chargers were helped by Max Melton’s 48-yard defensive pass interference penalty. Chargers: McConkey took a hard hit to the hip in the third quarter. S Elijah Molden injured a hamstring. Cardinals: Host defending Super Bowl champion Seattle next Sunday. Chargers: They will host Las Vegas next Sunday. — Watch AP’s complete NFL coverage here Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
