TEMPE, Ariz. — TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Emari Demercado was discussing a play from Sunday that will live in Arizona Cardinals infamy — his carelessness when he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line on a potential 72-yard touchdown run and sparked one of the worst collapses in franchise history.
“Really no excuse,” the running back told reporters.
He’s right. But there’s also no excuse for what happened over the entire second half as the Cardinals (2-3) coughed up a 21-6 lead and fell 22-21 to the previously winless Titans, a loss that changed the trajectory of the season and might have altered the job outlook of this coaching staff.
Demercado might be an easy villain to single out, but he was far from the only one.
There was a premature snap that hit quarterback Kyler Murray in the helmet and was recovered by the Titans. There was a comedy of errors on a play that began with an interception by the Cardinals, followed by a fumble and a loose ball getting kicked into the end zone, which led to the Titans closing the gap to 21-19 with 4:53 remaining.
There were defensive breakdowns in the secondary that allowed Calvin Ridley to get two big catches. There were head-scratching play calls late in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals needed one first down to escape with the win.
It’s the kind of loss that is hard to shake. Especially since it was Arizona’s third last-second defeat in a row.
“That was bad all around,” Murray said. “It was bad.”
Coach Jonathan Gannon’s job appeared secure before the season, but losses like Sunday’s might change that. The third-year leader went 4-13 in his first year before improving to 8-9 last season. There was hope Arizona would make another jump this fall, but the early returns aren’t promising.
Gannon seemed to realize the gravity of the collapse.
“From staff, to the coaches to the players — to everybody in there, the clock is ticking,” Gannon said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a number one overall pick, a Pro Bowl safety, a third-year head coach, a first-year assistant. It doesn’t matter.
“We have to do a better job and close out games.”
Despite losing their top two running backs over the previous two weeks, Arizona’s run game was solid against Tennessee.
Demercado, Murray, Michael Carter and Bam Knight combined to rush for 168 yards. That’s a good sign for the Cardinals considering veteran James Conner (foot) is out for the season and backup Trey Benson (knee) will miss at least three more games.
The offensive play-calling was questionable during the game’s final minutes. Arizona was leading 21-19 and needed one first down to close it out, but coordinator Drew Petzing called three straight running plays for Carter that gained a total of 2 yards.
Considering Murray is a franchise quarterback making roughly $45 million this year, it might be good to let him have a crack at getting the first down. Gannon has been supportive of Petzing during the skid, but the coordinator’s conservative approach hasn’t been working.
Much-criticized WR Marvin Harrison Jr. had one of his best games this season, catching four passes for 98 yards, including a tough 43-yard grab over two Titans defenders that set up the Cardinals’ first touchdown.
Gannon has been well-liked and well-respected during his two-plus seasons in Arizona, but his leadership will be tested in the coming weeks. Now only are the Cardinals losing, but they’ve been extremely sloppy. Owner Michael Bidwill spent a lot of money upgrading the roster during the offseason — mostly on defense — and can’t be happy with the results. There were loud boos from the home crowd throughout the fourth-quarter collapse.
TE Tip Reiman was carted off with an ankle injury in the third quarter and didn’t return. Reiman doesn’t catch many passes, but is instrumental in the running game. LB Cody Simon (knee) also left and didn’t return. Murray (foot) was hobbled near the end of the game, leaving for two plays before returning.
3 — The Cardinals have lost three straight games on the final play of regulation, which is the first time that’s happened in NFL history, according to Sportradar.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinals, who visit Indianapolis on Sunday. The Colts (4-1) just whipped the Raiders 40-6.
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