Wk 1 · 2026
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers — Sun, Sep 13
Sun, Sep 13 ·
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
· CBS FINAL
Weather
No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
at
4:25pET
LAC -8.5 · total 47.5 DraftKings opened -10.5 · 2 toward ARI
Ratings differential LAC by 4.7
What is at stake
An interconference game, NFC against AFC. It counts in both overall records — which is what seeding is settled on first — and in neither team’s division or conference record.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Cardinals form
L 21-45vs DETL 24-36at NYGL 30-36at SFL 7-31vs SEAW 26-14at LAC
2026 season
Chargers form
L 17-23vs DENL 23-30at SEAL 16-24at BUFL 14-26vs LVL 14-26vs ARI
2026 season
Cardinals this season
Straight up1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Chargers this season
Straight up0-5 · 0% (5 games)
Against the spread0-4-1 · 0% (5 games)
Over / under1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 7
| Opponent | Cardinals | Chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks NFC | vs L 7-31 preview | at L 23-30 preview |
| 49ers NFC | at L 30-36 preview | vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview |
| Rams NFC | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Broncos AFC | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview | vs L 17-23 preview |
| Chiefs AFC | at Wk 11 · scheduled preview | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview |
| Jets AFC | vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview |
| Raiders AFC | vs Wk 17 · scheduled preview | vs L 14-26 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Chargers leads 4–3 · Cardinals has won the last 2
7 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
8.4 points toward Chargers
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-09-13 | Cardinals 26 — 14 Chargers | at LAC | Cardinals |
| 2024 | 2024-10-21 | Chargers 15 — 17 Cardinals | at ARI | Cardinals |
| 2022 | 2022-11-27 | Chargers 25 — 24 Cardinals | at ARI | Chargers |
| 2018 | 2018-11-25 | Cardinals 10 — 45 Chargers | at LAC | Chargers |
| 2014 | 2014-09-08 | Chargers 17 — 18 Cardinals | at ARI | Cardinals |
| 2010 | 2010-10-03 | Cardinals 10 — 41 Chargers | at LAC | Chargers |
| 2006 | 2006-12-31 | Cardinals 20 — 27 Chargers | at LAC | Chargers |
Cardinals leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Jacoby Brissett QB #7 | 103/152, 818 YDS, 6 TD, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Jeremiyah Love RB #4 | 55 CAR, 223 YDS, 1 TD |
| Tyler Allgeier RB #22 | 32 CAR, 112 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Jacoby Brissett QB #7 | 15 CAR, 43 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Michael Wilson WR #14 | 25 REC, 258 YDS, 1 TD |
| Trey McBride TE #85 | 33 REC, 242 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Kendrick Bourne WR #17 | 12 REC, 108 YDS | |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. WR #18 | 5 REC, 85 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Jack Gibbens LB #50 | 32 |
| Mack Wilson Sr. LB #1 | 28 | |
| Budda Baker S #3 | 25 | |
| Sacks | Budda Baker S #3 | 1.5 |
| Josh Sweat LB #10 | 1 | |
| Zaven Collins LB #25 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Budda Baker S #3 | 1 |
| Andrew Wingard S #27 | 1 | |
| Denzel Burke CB #29 | 1 |
Chargers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Justin Herbert QB #10 | 71/119, 816 YDS, 4 TD, 6 INT |
| Tre' Harris WR #9 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Omarion Hampton RB #8 | 59 CAR, 238 YDS, 3 TD |
| Keaton Mitchell RB #34 | 27 CAR, 124 YDS | |
| Justin Herbert QB #10 | 18 CAR, 88 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tre' Harris WR #9 | 13 REC, 209 YDS |
| Ladd McConkey WR #15 | 12 REC, 183 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Quentin Johnston WR #1 | 7 REC, 108 YDS | |
| Oronde Gadsden TE #86 | 9 REC, 86 YDS, 1 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Daiyan Henley LB #0 | 26 |
| Del'Shawn Phillips LB #53 | 24 | |
| Derwin James Jr. S #3 | 21 | |
| Sacks | Khalil Mack LB #52 | 3 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu LB #45 | 2 | |
| Troy Dye LB #43 | 1.5 | |
| Interceptions | Genesis Smith S #22 | 2 |
| Cam Hart CB #20 | 1 | |
| Tuli Tuipulotu LB #45 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.