The Arizona Cardinals have defied preseason expectations by starting their season with a striking 26-14 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. Many analysts had predicted a grim season for Arizona, expecting them to vie for a top 2027 NFL Draft pick due to a poor record. However, their recent performance has challenged these forecasts.
This victory was significant as it marked the debut of head coach Mike LaFleur, who broke a long-standing pattern of failure for new Cardinals coaches. The last time an Arizona head coach won their inaugural game was back in 1973 with Don Coryell. Since then, 13 Cardinals coaches have failed to win their first outing.
Adam Schefter of ESPN noted the historic aspect of this win on social media, highlighting LaFleur’s achievement. Despite this notable start, LaFleur remains focused on future games, acknowledging the constant challenges of NFL competition. “What’s been said, it doesn’t matter,” he stated. “We don’t care. And I hope we continue to feel that way. The humility is a day away in this league, so we got to reset and get right back to work tomorrow.”
The Cardinals face another test in Week 2 as they prepare to host the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Seahawks might be playing without their starting quarterback Sam Darnold, backup Drew Lock has already demonstrated capability by leading Seattle to a narrow 13-10 win over the New England Patriots.
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