Arizona Cardinals deliver biggest shock of NFL Week 1 so far
The Arizona Cardinals have delivered the biggest shock of NFL Week 1 so far, knocking off the heavily favored Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 at SoFi Stadium.
With the opening weekend still to be completed, Arizona has set the early standard for upsets. The Chargers entered Sunday as 9½-point favorites — the largest spread of Week 1 — but it was the Cardinals who controlled much of the afternoon.
Arizona outgained Los Angeles 393-268, held the ball for more than 37 minutes and finished without a turnover while forcing two.
Brissett keeps Arizona moving
Jacoby Brissett turned in an efficient performance for the Cardinals, completing 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Trey McBride caught nine passes for 95 yards and a score, while Kendrick Bourne added eight catches for 75 yards.
The Cardinals led 13-7 at halftime and never surrendered the lead. After the Chargers pulled within 16-14 in the third quarter, Brissett found McBride for a three-yard touchdown early in the fourth to give Arizona some breathing room.
Justin Herbert threw for 209 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted once as Los Angeles struggled to sustain drives. The Chargers ran just 51 offensive plays compared to Arizona’s 72.
Vikings rally past Packers
The Minnesota Vikings produced another eye-catching result, storming back from a 22-10 deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers 39-22.
Minnesota scored 29 unanswered points, including 22 in the fourth quarter, despite being outgained 419-239. Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes, two to Justin Jefferson, as the Vikings turned the game completely around.
Surprises pile up
Week 1 had already produced a surprise in Melbourne, where the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Los Angeles Rams 27-7, holding reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford to 155 passing yards.
And in Carolina, the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers combined for 96 points as Chicago came away with a wild 59-37 victory.
There are still games to be played, but in terms of a straight-up upset, Arizona’s convincing victory over a Chargers team favored by nearly 10 points stands above the rest so far.
