The Arizona Cardinals just walked into Los Angeles as the biggest underdogs of Week 1 and dropped a massive 26-14 road win on the Chargers. Seriously, talk about starting the season with a bang! This wasn’t some lucky fluke, either. We’re talking about a fantastic, all-around performance where they absolutely delivered in every single phase of the game.
Brissett and the Offense Were Clicking From the Jump
Right from the opening whistle, the Cardinals’ offense was locked in. They scored on their very first drive and honestly, never even looked back, never trailing for a second. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was sharp, completing 27-of-37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. The ball was spread around, hitting six different receivers, which makes life tough for any defense. Tight end Trey McBride was a beast, hauling in nine catches for 95 yards and a crucial touchdown. Receiver Kendrick Bourne wasn’t far behind with eight receptions for 75 yards. What’s even crazier? They didn’t turn the ball over once, and they didn’t even punt until the third quarter. When they needed to run, the ground game was balanced and steady, putting up 116 total rushing yards. The running back duo of Tyler Allgeier (61 yards on 17 carries) and Jeremiyah Love (41 yards on 11 attempts with a touchdown) combined for 102 of those. That’s how you control the clock and keep the pressure on.
Defense Steps Up Big, Special Teams Delivers the Splash Play
Remember all the talk about Nick Rallis’s defense being “oft-criticized”? Well, they silenced a lot of that noise on Sunday. They held the Chargers’ offense to a measly 268 total yards. Think about that! They were lights out on third down, holding them to just 2-of-8 conversions, and completely shut them down on fourth down, going 0-for-3. Three sacks, two takeaways, five tackles for loss, and six pass breakups are serious numbers. Oh, and how about that fourth-down stop in a goal-to-go situation? That’s championship-level stuff right there. Special teams was a bit of a mixed bag, with kicker Chad Ryland missing a field goal but hitting three others and two extra points, plus a kickoff out of bounds. Punter Blake Gillikin had two touchbacks. But when it mattered, they made a big play: Simi Fehoko blocked a punt. That’s the kind of momentum swing you need.
This whole game was about complementary football, something the Cardinals haven’t done consistently in a while. What a way to start the season. It’s a huge “Welcome to 1-0” for them, and the league better start paying attention to what’s brewing in Arizona after a performance like that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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