The most memorable game of Week 5 of the NFL season wasn't between two powerhouses of the league. No, it was a matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans that drew everyone's attention. A late collapse by Arizona gave Tennessee their first win of the season, but that's not where the excitement came from. Rather, it's how the Cardinals got to this position that's turned everyone's head.
With the score at 21-6 in favor of the Cardinals, running back Emari Demercado had a golden opportunity to seal the game. Demercado broke through the Titans' defensive line for a 70-yard touchdown. Except, well, Arizona fumbled the opportunity… literally. Demercado let go of the ball just before crossing the endzone, making it a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown. What was supposed to be an easy six points for Arizona turned into nothing in a blink.
That alone would have been enough to draw headlines. However, the Cardinals' reaction to Demercado's fumble was noticed by many. In particular, head coach Jonathan Gannon was seen laying into the running back, even pushing him at one point. Because of these actions, Arizona fined Gannon $100,000.
How was that move received by other NFL front offices? Well, most executives seem to think that the Cardinals' punishment for Gannon was a step too far. Dianna Russini reported on how front office executives reacted to the trade.
“‘It was a meltdown. He’s a first-time head coach, felt helpless. I don’t think they needed to fine him. You deal with that internally,' one NFC head coach said.” Russini reported. “A rival executive was blunt: ‘The owner cut his balls off in front of his entire team.'”
Some executives had a different opinion. “You can’t push a player like that. That’s garbage,” an anonymous executive told Russini.
The Cardinals would proceed to squander their lead to the Titans in the second half. After a wild sequence that saw an Arizona defender pick off Cam Ward, only to fumble the ball towards their own endzone for Tennessee to recover the touchdown, Tennessee would score another touchdown for the win.
Gannon, for his part, apologized to Demercado, and reiterated that the running back would continue to be featured in the Cardinals offense with Trey Benson out for the foreseeable future.
