{
  "id": 7197090,
  "title": "Chargers let down almost one-third of survival pool players with huge upset loss to Cardinals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/chargers-let-down-almost-one-third-of-survival-pool-players-with-huge",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-13T23:25:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/chargers-let-down-almost-one-third-of-survival-pool-players-with-huge-upset-loss-to-cardinals-232530966.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The Chargers were big favorites in their season opener vs. Arizona.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "NFL picks: Experts all pick Chargers over Cardinals in Week 1",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/nfl-picks-experts-all-pick-chargers-over-cardinals-in-week-1",
        "published": "2026-09-12T22:03:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}