Chargers let down almost one-third of survival pool players with huge upset loss to Cardinals

The Los Angeles Chargers faced a devastating upset loss in their Week 1 NFL survival pool game, surprising almost one-third of bettors who had picked them as one of the biggest favorites. With 32.5% of Yahoo Survival Football participants selecting the Chargers, the team quickly fell to a 0-1 record after losing to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals emerged as 9.5-point underdogs, prevailing 26-14. The Chargers' defense struggled early, failing to contain the Cardinals' early touchdown drive. Three field goals and a missed field goal further exacerbated the Chargers' difficulties. However, it was their special teams' failure that proved decisive. The Cardinals capitalized on a punt block, moving to the Chargers' 3-yard line before scoring a crucial touchdown, catapulting their lead to 23-14 with just 11 minutes remaining.

Despite this setback, the Chargers still had opportunities to mount a comeback. Yet, quarterback Justin Herbert's deep throws were intercepted by Cardinals safety Andrew Wingard, sealing the Chargers' fate. Following this loss, Los Angeles faced a barrage of criticism for its disappointing performance, raising concerns that the team might be destined for similar struggles in the future.