Emari Demercado got more than an earful on Sunday.
The Cardinals running back made the boneheaded play of the day when he ripped a 72-yard carry up the middle to the house for an apparent touchdown, only to celebrate too early and drop the ball before he crossed the plane with 12:41 left in the fourth quarter, resulting in a lost fumble and an eventual 22-21 loss to the Titans — and a new video that surfaced on social media shows just how unhappy his coach was with the decision.
The video shows Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon furiously walking over to his player, who was being consoled by offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr., screaming at him in his ear, and slapped him in the chest before again hitting him in the pads, this time harder, as he walked off, and his headset flew off his head.
Players on the sideline watched as Demercado hung his head as the Cardinals would have been up 28-6 (assuming a converted extra point,) but instead, the fumble allowed the door to swing open for the Titans, who then scored on their next three possessions to steal the win on a last-second Joey Slye field goal.
After the game, Demercado took accountability for the game-altering mistake.
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“I mean, it’s just a mistake. There’s really no excuse,” Demercardo told reporters after the game.
When asked what Gannon said to him during the heated sideline altercation, Demercado punted on the question.
“Just got to be smarter, as simple as that,” Demercado said.
Gannon was diplomatic when asked about the fumble during his postgame press conference, calling the result “unacceptable.”
“It’s never about just one play,” Gannon said. “Obviously, very disappointing. Felt like we had multiple chances to put away the game … we have to do a better job.”
The Cardinals are down two running backs with James Conner out for the season and Trey Benson on IR, but Demercado’s role was surprisingly limited even before his devastating mistake.
Ex-Jet Michael Carter led the backfield on Sunday despite being on the practice squad to begin the week.
Arizona also gave some work to Bam Knight as Demercado had three carries, the lowest of any ball carrier on the team.
The Cardinals may opt to release Demercado after the fumble that directly contributed to a loss on Sunday, although their schedule for the next two games is far from easy, as they face the Colts and Packers the next two weeks.
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