Cardinals beat Chargers 26-14 as Mike LaFleur wins his head coaching debut

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Coming off an injury-riddled three-win season and with a new coaching staff, the Arizona Cardinals were the NFL's biggest underdog going into Week 1.

Surprise!

Led by rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals defeated the Jim Harbaugh-led Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 on Sunday.

LaFleur became the first Cardinals coach to win his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. He won in the same SoFi Stadium where he worked his final game as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator last year before being hired by Arizona in February.

“These last few days have been almost miserable waiting,” he said. “Just really happy for those guys.”

LaFleur spent his first 12 years in the NFL toiling as an assistant with five different teams. His older brother, Matt, is starting his eighth season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Harbaugh's older brother, Jim, coaches the New York Giants.

Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and a touchdown for Arizona, which added 18 new players and several new assistants.

“I’m just so happy that we were able to go on the road and get a win,” Brissett said. “As a starting quarterback, it’s like, ‘Whew!’”

The Chargers were the NFL's heaviest favorite by 9 1/2 points, but they played from behind the entire game and had a miserable fourth quarter.

“It’s not the start that we wanted, but credit to the Cardinals,” Harbaugh said. “It’ll be about our resolve, the way we bounce back.”

Chad Ryland had four field goals as the Cardinals won on the road against the Chargers for the first time since 2001. His only miss was a 54-yarder when the ball hit the right upright in the second quarter.

The Chargers made a mess of the fourth quarter. On their first three possessions, they had a blocked punt, Justin Herbert was intercepted and Los Angeles turned the ball over on downs on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line. They had another turnover on downs with less than 2 minutes remaining.

“It’s understood that every first week is kind of like a training camp game,” linebacker Daiyan Henley said. “You never know what’s going to come at you, but you got to be prepared for anything.”

Herbert was 17 of 27 for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and was sacked three times.

“They played well, but it’s on us to play better,” Herbert said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to.”

The Cardinals dominated possession, 37 minutes to 22, and ran 72 plays to 51 for the Chargers and compiled 393 yards of offense to 268.

Arizona scored on its first possession when Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick, stiff-armed Cam Hart in the left corner of the end zone for a 5-yard TD run.

The Chargers answered with a 9-yard TD run by Omarion Hampton. He got stoned at the 5-yard line, but kept going as four Cardinals failed to stop him, tying it at 7.

Arizona led 10-7 on Ryland's 27-yard field goal in the second.

Herbert got sacked by Dante Stills on fourth-and-goal with two minutes left before halftime. The Cardinals got a 42-yarder by Ryland after Paris Johnson Jr.'s 15-yard face mask penalty to lead 13-7.

After the Chargers were forced to punt on their first possession of the third, Arizona got a 34-yarder by Ryland to extend its lead to 16-7.

Los Angeles closed to 16-14 on Herbert's 8-yard pass to Ladd McConkey, who barely got into the corner of the end zone. The Chargers were helped by Max Melton's 48-yard defensive pass interference penalty.

Chargers: McConkey took a hard hit to his hip in the third quarter. S Elijah Molden injured a hamstring.

Cardinals: Host defending Super Bowl champion Seattle next Sunday.

Chargers: Host Las Vegas next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) smiles after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) passes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, left, is hit by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jack Gibbens, left rear, and linebacker Zaven Collins (25) as defensive tackle Walter Nolen III (97) follows the play during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur talks with players on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

CAIRO (AP) — An Iranian cargo vessel was struck early Sunday off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said, and Tehran postponed a plan to brief neighboring countries on its contested efforts to manage shipping in the strait.

The attack drew attention back to the strait after threats to shipping in the Red Sea intensified last week. Iran-backed Houthi rebels battling government forces in Yemen captured an island on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted the Qeshm governor as blaming a “terrorist enemy” for Sunday's attack, which it said killed one and wounded four.

There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military, which has struck Iranian-flagged vessels during its blockade of Iranian ports and faces a new threat from Iranian ballistic missiles launched at its warships.

Qeshm Island, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) from the port city of Bandar Abbas, is key to Iran asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours before the attack, Iran’s government remained defiant. “Our people can’t be bullied into submission. Iran won’t surrender,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post.

U.S. President Donald Trump disagreed, saying on Sunday that Iran “wants to make a deal so bad” that “they’re calling constantly.” Trump spoke at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where he was attending a tournament.

Later, when asked by a reporter whether the U.S. struck the Iranian cargo vessel early Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said: “I don’t want to say.” He then boarded Air Force One to head back to Washington.

Iran had said foreign ministers from regional countries would meet Monday in Oman to discuss efforts by Iran and Oman, located on the other side of the strait, to manage shipping on it. But the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, said on X late Sunday that the meeting had been postponed “in the interests of consensus.”

Iran and Oman agreed to postpone the talks “at the request of some regional countries,” said Mohammad Ali Bak, an official in Iran’s foreign ministry who was quoted by IRNA on X.

Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to the Iran-Oman agreement, citing concerns that the emerging deal could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz that could negatively impact other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to a Gulf official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Commercial ship traffic remains low in the Strait of Hormuz as attacks continue on what was seen as an international waterway before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor said Sunday that a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the strait, though it wasn’t clear if this was referring to the attack Iran had reported off Qeshm. The monitor said a severe fire had broken out and that local authorities were evacuating those on board.

The U.S. has asserted that plenty of oil is getting out as its military helps to guide ships along Oman's coast, at the risk of being struck.

Before the meeting in Oman was postponed, only Iraq had publicly confirmed plans to attend. Bahrain had said it would not attend, citing a lack of diplomatic relations with Tehran.

Since early in the war, Iran has expressed interest in having ships pay fees for transit. It has said traffic into the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s.

There had been some optimism in the region about the planned meeting, with hope that Gulf nations might use it to assert a collective response to a war they had no part in starting. For months, they have faced Iranian attacks that Tehran has claimed target U.S. military assets on their lands.

On Sunday, Iran’s president said he had a “good talk” over the weekend with a top official from the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of a global summit of leading developing nations.

Iran has fired thousands of missiles and drones at the Gulf country, a close U.S. ally.

Pezeshkian said he met with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, while attending the BRICs summit in New Delhi.

“We talked about the issues of concern so that it’s possible to put the past behind us, to look toward the future and how we can build the future together,” Pezeshkian said. His comments were aired live on Iranian state television.

Anna reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Amir Radjy in Cairo, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Aamer Madhani and Didi Tang in Washington, contributed to this report.

A woman walks past a banner showing portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, center, and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Women hug each other as they react to the camera at the Tajrish square in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A fruit seller waits for customers at the Tajrish square in northern Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A motorboat travels past commercial vessels anchored amid haze in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)