Cardinals vs. Chargers: What was the play of the game?

I approach this poll with a heavy heart for the season after last night's game in which a rash of injuries turned a bad Arizona Cardinals performance into one of the gut-busting make you sick moments everyone tried to avoid.

For all those injured, a quick wish for a speedy recovery.

Now on to the meat of the article, play of the game. Normally I pull five nominees to vote for, but in this game I struggled with identifying five so three is the magic number.

1: The play that turned a Philip Rivers throw into an interception: There is a lot that transpired on the play, starting with rookie Tyrann Mathieu turning the right corner on a blitz and getting his hand on the ball before it leaves Palmer's hand. That was the defining moment of the play, the ability to get pressure.

On the back half of the play, ILB Jasper Brinkley tracks the ball and pulls it in before rumbling off an extra chunk of yardage, a nice turnover for the Cards defense.

2: Carson Palmer to Michael Floyd connection for a touchdown: The entire play was a thing of beauty. Palmer showed why the Cards believe he can be the guy and Floyd displayed why the Cards used a first round pick on him, going up high for the ball at the back of the end zone and dragging both feet before heading out of bounds.

Most importantly, it was a red zone strike. Although the only one on the day, it has to sit better than the 0 - 5 red zone showing last week.

3: The Rashad Johnson learns a very important lesson fumble recovery: The San Diego Chargers had their way yesterday, that's no secret. But the Cards defense nearly punched them in the mouth with what could have been a game changer. Instead, we get this highlight real. (Yes, I know it doesn't go the Cards way here. But due to the horrible play in the game I was watching, it made me laugh)

First kudos to Ricky Lumpkin. His name doesn't make the articles often, so gotta get him his shine time. Goal line stance on their 1 yard line and Lumpkin stacks up Chargers RB Ryan Matthews, forcing a fumble in the process.

Johnson recovers, and gets a yard or so on the return before a Chargers players makes contact. And this is where hopefully a lesson was learned.

"Hey superstar, never lateral the ball while behind your 10 yard line." That's what my coach informed me back back in junior high when I managed to do something like that. I remember running stupid laps after that. Anyway, I digress.

Hopefully Johnson learns his lesson because his attempt to lateral back to Sam Acho (I believe) ends in disaster. Acho mismanages the ball while in the air, never able to pull it in. The result, John Phillips snatches the ball and scores for the Chargers.

Those are the nominees for play of the game poll. What was your choice, let us know in the poll below.