Cardinals stun Chargers in NFL season opener, ending survival-pool hopes
Arizona beat Los Angeles 26–14 as a 9.5-point underdog, according to Yahoo Sports, eliminating many players who selected the Chargers in Week 1 survival pools.
The Arizona Cardinals opened the NFL season with a 26–14 upset of the heavily favoured Los Angeles Chargers, turning a popular survival-pool selection into an early exit for many players.
Los Angeles had been selected by 32.5 per cent of Yahoo Survival Football players for Week 1. Arizona closed as a 9.5-point underdog at most sportsbooks, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Cardinals established control early. Their first five possessions produced a touchdown, three field goals and one missed field goal, while the Chargers struggled to prevent Arizona from building scoring opportunities.
Los Angeles remained within reach in the fourth quarter, trailing 16–14, before a special-teams error shifted the game. Arizona blocked a Chargers punt and took possession at the Los Angeles 3-yard line, then scored to extend the lead to 23–14 with 11:44 remaining.
Justin Herbert’s interception by Cardinals safety Andrew Wingard ended the Chargers’ effort to mount a comeback. The result follows an off-season in which Los Angeles hired Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator and lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who became Baltimore’s head coach.
