Seems like it was not a day for Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado, as he made a critical error that cost his team dearly in Week 5.
What seemed to be a 72-yard touchdown against the Tennessee Titans turned into a nightmare when he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line, erasing a sure score and sparking a Titans comeback that ended in a 22-21 Cardinals loss.
Stephen A. Smith Slams Emari Demercado’s Costly Fumble
Stephen A. Smith was in full frustration when discussing Demercado’s mistake on his show. The ESPN analyst made his stance crystal clear about what he would have done as a coach in that situation. “I’d bench his a** immediately,” Smith said. “And if I didn’t do it, then after the game, he would have known he wasn’t playing next week. He would have known that I was that salty about him.”
Smith’s frustration showed what many Cardinals fans felt watching their team blow a good lead. This mistake happened early in the fourth quarter with Arizona leading 21-6. Demercado broke through Tennessee’s defense and appeared headed for an easy touchdown.
However, as he approached the end zone with Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed trailing behind, Demercado prematurely celebrated and dropped the ball before crossing the goal line.
And we all know, the points were lost. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it a fumble through the end zone, resulting in a touchback and giving Tennessee possession instead of putting Arizona up 28-6.
Smith pointed out Demercado’s lack of experience, noting the running back has only been in the league for three years with just four career touchdowns. “You act like you’ve been doing this forever. I mean every touchdown should be precious to you,” Smith noted.
He criticized Demercado’s lackadaisical approach after the fumble, suggesting the player seemed more concerned with himself than his team. He also referred to the same type of mistake last week when Adonai Mitchell, a wide receiver for the Colts, dropped the ball at the goal line against the Rams.
Smith described it as a disturbing pattern of players “thirsty” for the spotlight rather than concentrating on their work.
Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon later addressed his reaction to Demercado’s mistake and the result, saying, “So, it’s a mistake by me, and it’s just like everybody in there, everybody made some type of mistake yesterday, which culminates to why we didn’t win the game.”
Tennessee got a good chance on the turnover, scoring 16 unanswered points to complete the comeback and win on a last-second field goal. It was a third consecutive loss for the Cardinals, who are currently ranked 27th in PFSN’s Offensive Impact metrics.