The Arizona Cardinals delivered a major surprise in Week 1, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 on Sunday. This marked the first time since 2001 that Arizona beat the Chargers on the road. The game was led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, who became the first Cardinals coach to win his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. LaFleur spent his first twelve years in the NFL as an assistant coach with five different teams before taking over the Cardinals. Arizona entered the game as the NFL’s biggest Week 1 underdog at 9 1/2 points.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett helped lead the offense to a strong start, while the defense played a key role in limiting the Chargers, according to arizonasports.com. Defensive lineman Dante Stills made a play by forcing a turnover on downs with a big sack in the red zone. That play accounted for Stills’ sack, tackle, tackle for loss and quarterback hit, which were his only traditional stats of the game. He played 32 of Arizona’s 51 defensive snaps and brought a relentless energy throughout the game. Stills said he felt it was his opportunity to make a play in the red zone, and that he wanted to stop them from scoring. Brissett finished with 277 passing yards and one touchdown. Trey McBride caught nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals had a strong defensive showing overall, with several players contributing to the pressure on quarterback Justin Herbert. Darius Robinson also played a role, hurrying the quarterback twice in his 19 snaps. Walter Nolen III helped on a sack by drawing a triple team. Arizona also controlled possession for 37:31 and outgained Los Angeles 393 yards to 268.
The Chargers struggled in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over multiple times and missing key opportunities to score, according to a report from CBS Sports. On their first three possessions of the fourth quarter, the Chargers had a blocked punt, an interception, and turned the ball over on downs from the 3-yard line. Justin Herbert was sacked on fourth-and-goal with two minutes left before halftime, which helped keep the Chargers from scoring. The Chargers closed the gap with a touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Arizona’s lead. Simi Fehoko blocked the punt and Andrew Wingard intercepted Herbert during the fourth-quarter collapse.
McConkey took a hard hit in the third quarter and left with a chest injury that was later described as a rib issue, while Elijah Molden dealt with a hamstring injury. The Cardinals scored early on the first drive of the game when Jeremiyah Love made a key play. Los Angeles responded with a touchdown run by Omarion Hampton, who pushed through four defenders to tie the score at seven. Love scored on a 5-yard run and became the first Cardinals rookie to score a touchdown in his NFL debut since David Johnson in 2015.
The Cardinals defense held strong throughout and allowed only 14 points in the game. Quarterback Justin Herbert said Arizona played well but admitted Los Angeles did not play the way it wanted. Linebacker Daiyan Henley said the first week of the season is like a training camp game. Herbert finished 17 of 27 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Cardinals’ win was also supported by four field goals from Chad Ryland. This victory marked a major shift for the Cardinals, who had not beaten the Chargers on the road since 2001. The team’s defensive effort was praised as a key reason for the win, especially from players like Dante Stills and others who made plays throughout the game. Ryland’s only miss was a 54-yard attempt that hit the right upright in the second quarter.
Stills’ performance was noted as a reason for Arizona’s defensive dominance in the first game of the season. The Cardinals will now face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, with their defense expected to be tested. Seattle enters the matchup as the defending Super Bowl champion.
IMAGE: In 2019. Photo: Fox Sports / Wikimedia, taken 2019-02-03, CC BY 3.0