The Arizona Cardinals lose a game against the Tennessee Titans that they thought they had already won. This apparently causes head coach Jonathan Gannon to lose his composure, which Emari Demercado gets to feel the effects of.

It would probably have been the famous icing on the cake. But instead of delivering the next blow to the Tennessee Titans with a rushing touchdown, Emari Demercado of the Arizona Cardinals lost the ball in the end zone. The result: a fumble, a touchback, and a score of 21-6 at the start of the final quarter. But not for long, because this was apparently a wake-up call for the Titans. The team, which had been winless so far this NFL season, converted the possession into its first touchdown of the evening, followed by another and a final field goal, celebrating a 22-21 comeback victory.

NFL: Arizona Cardinals lose third game in a row

This was apparently too much for Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Not only did his team lose their third game in a row, but he also lost his composure. As can be seen in videos, he talked to Demercado on the sideline and apparently hit him in the upper body as he stormed off in anger. There was no visible reaction from the running back, who gained 81 yards on three carries. He just stands there looking miserable, while O-liner Paris Johnson puts his arm around his shoulder in a brotherly gesture. He is obviously well aware of his costly mistake.

Demercado on the fumble: “There’s no excuse for that.”

After the game, Gannon vented his frustration. “Obviously very disappointing. It felt like we had enough chances in all three phases to pull the game our way, but since we didn’t, we all need to do a better job,” grumbled the coach, who has been in charge since 2023.

He continued: “I’ve been saying the same thing for three games. But if we don’t do our job better, we’ll continue to lose. It’s never about one play. It’s never about one phase. We have to get better as a collective, and that’s what we’ll work on starting tomorrow.”

BREAKING NEWS

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathon Gannon appears to HIT running back Emari Demercado after he cost his team a touchdown:

Haven’t seen a coach hit a player in many years — things got extremely heated.

WOW.

(@MrAzSports)pic.twitter.com/ZOJvKf43Lg

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 6, 2025

A dejected Demercado was self-critical: “I made a mistake. There’s no excuse for it. I just dropped the ball. Of course, it was emotional, a big play, but I just have to be smarter.“

Cardinals: Kyler Murray defends Emari Demercado

Kyler Murray, who also fumbled and lost the ball in the third quarter, sympathized with his teammate: ”I know Emari well. I know his character and his game intelligence. I would never have thought Emari would do something like that, but of course everyone makes mistakes. He’ll take it in stride.”

One thing is clear: improvement is needed quickly. Otherwise, the playoffs will soon be out of sight. Next up, however, is a much tougher challenge for the Cardinals: they travel to one of the hottest teams in the league, the Indianapolis Colts.