Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon appears to hit RB Emari Demercado after costly fumble vs. Titans initially appeared on The Sporting News
The Arizona Cardinals’ Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans continues to be sending shockwaves by way of the NFL, however not solely due to what occurred on the scoreboard.
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Running again Emari Demercado made one of the most infamous blunders in football: dropping the ball earlier than crossing the objective line. His would-be 72-yard landing was worn out after assessment confirmed he misplaced possession inches shy of the top zone. Instead of sealing a Cardinals win, it turned a turnover that sparked a Titans rally.
Tennessee turned the error into factors and stormed again from a 21-3 deficit to stun Arizona 22-21, in what Next Gen Stats rated because the second-most inconceivable comeback of the season.
Now, a brand new layer has been added to the controversy. A video surfaced that appears to present Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon chewing out Demercado on the sideline after the vital error — and even placing him in frustration.
Check out video beneath:
“I made a mistake. There’s really no excuse,” Demercado stated, per Arizona Sports. “I was obviously emotional. It was a big play, but I just got to be smarter,” the working again added.
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The incident has raised questions not solely about Demercado’s future with the workforce but in addition about Gannon’s response within the warmth of the second. The three-year head coach was already going through scrutiny for the collapse, and his response towards the younger working again is probably going to draw much more consideration.
Demercado, who was anticipated to tackle a bigger position with James Conner and Trey Benson each sidelined, noticed restricted motion within the sport earlier than his future. What ought to have been a career-defining play as a substitute turned one of many early season’s most talked-about errors. For Arizona, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Instead of grabbing a much-needed win, the Cardinals are left reeling from a significant collapse.
To make issues worse, the gaffe overshadowed a defensive efficiency that ought to have sealed the victory. The Cardinals’ protection picked off Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward within the fourth quarter, solely to fumble the return ultimately zone, gifting one other landing to Tennessee. By sport’s finish, Arizona had turned a commanding lead right into a demoralizing defeat — with Demercado’s error serving because the turning level.
Whether Gannon’s sideline outburst was a second of ardour or a step too far, the highlight now shines brighter on each him and Demercado. And for a Cardinals workforce already trying to find solutions, the fallout is just starting.