It was a horrible Sunday afternoon for the Arizona Cardinals, including the incredibly boneheaded gaffe by Emari Demercado. And now it’s time for big changes in Arizona after the Cardinals’ embarrassing collapse against the Titans.
In his third season as the Cardinals’ head coach, things have gone off the rails for head coach Jonathan Gannon. After a pair of wins over very weak teams, the Cardinals have suffered three excruciating losses. And the blame resides directly on the table of Gannon.
Cardinals need to reassess their future
The 4-13 season in Gannon's rookie year is acceptable for a young coach learning his way. And last year’s 8-9 mark showed progress. But a 2-5 collapse down the stretch revealed question marks.
This year, the Cardinals took care of business against the lowly Saints and Panthers. But they couldn’t hold their late-game water against the 49ers, a crushing division loss.
Then they flitted around for most of the game against the Seahawks before rallying for a tie. That’s when kicker Chad Ryland made the inexcusable mistake of leaving a kick short of the landing zone. That gave the Seahawks enough time to get in position for a game-winning field goal.
But the mistakes against the Titans far exceeded everything. Leading 21-6 in the fourth quarter, running back Demercado broke loose for a 72-yard run. But he purposely dropped the ball — and he hadn’t crossed the goal line.
Demercado apologized for the play, according to NBC Sports.
“I just made a mistake,” he said. “There’s really no excuse. Just let the ball go through. I’ve just got to be smarter. It’s as simple as that.
“I’ve just got to keep pushing. It’s the same thing. No matter which way you word it, it’s the same answer. I’ve just got to keep pushing. Holding onto it isn’t going to do anything for me.”
Then, with 4:51 left in the game, the Cardinals picked off Cam Ward. But Dadrion Taylor-Demerson awkwardly fumbled without being touched, and the Titans recovered in the end zone.
Both of these situations land in Gannon’s lap. NFL coaches must be able to teach their players the importance of ball security. This isn’t a situation where a defender makes a big play and punches the ball loose. This is lackadaisical play and poor coaching.
RB Emari Demercado didn't learn from his peers
What makes Demercado’s fumble even more egregious is that the NFL presented an example of how costly it can be. In Week 4, the Colts’ Adonai Mitchell did the same thing.
Gannon should have gathered his team together and expressed the dangers. And perhaps he did. But even if he did, his communication fell flat. His players didn’t listen. They acted as if ball security was similar to a Sunday afternoon nap. No big deal.
The Cardinals also had a sloppy fumble in the third quarter that cost them a field goal opportunity while leading 21-6.
The biggest change the Cardinals need to consider is a different direction from Gannon. Quarterback Kyler Murray wasn’t ready for the snap and hit his facemask. The Titans recovered.
Think it’s too early to consider a coaching change? The Cardinals have blown what should have been a 5-0 start. They have wasted an entire season with those three losses. And now, they stare at the very real possibility of a 2-8 start.
That’s right, eight straight losses. Look at the upcoming schedule: Colts, Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks, 49ers. Three of those are on the road. The schedule cools down the stretch, but the damage has been done.
Even if the Cardinals manage to go 2-3 over these next five weeks, they would be 4-6 and would probably need to run the table to make the playoffs. That won’t happen for a team that doesn’t perform at an acceptable level with ball security.
RB Emari Demercado should be benched
Yes, the Cardinals have been hit hard with injuries at the running back position. But Michael Carter performed acceptably, stepping in for James Conner and Trey Benson. He and Bam Knight can handle the load for two weeks while Demercado is demoted to the practice squad.
A message needs to be sent. Another thing that needs to happen is that Taylor-Demerson should be benched for one game. His mistake wasn’t as bad as Demercado’s, but the only way for Gannon to re-establish control of this team is to have accountability for these types of mistakes.
Players need to understand that casual mistakes won’t be tolerated on the NFL football field. Those should have been left behind in high school. When the stakes are high and the salaries match the stakes, there have to be player consequences.
Left tackle Paris Johnson seems to understand, according to azcentral.com.
“Why did it have to be close?” left tackle Paris Johnson said. “Even if this was a win. Why do we have to be close? With this being a loss, that's the thing that we're allowing to happen. Putting the ball in other people’s hands.”
And Gannon knows he’s a big reason why the Cardinals look like toast.
“It's on me,” Gannon said. “I've gotta go back to my drawing board and do a better job because it's unacceptable.
“Collectively, we have to do a better job. And it feels like that's now three games in a row that I'm saying the same thing. But until we do a better job, we're gonna keep losing.”
