Sometimes, a single moment of carelessness can completely change the momentum of a football game—and that’s exactly what happened when the Tennessee Titans managed to narrow the Arizona Cardinals' lead to 21-12, all thanks to a costly mistake by Cardinals running back Emari Demercado. But here’s where it gets controversial: Demercado’s blunder eerily mirrored a similar error made just weeks earlier by Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, raising questions about player awareness and coaching.
In Week 4, Mitchell infamously lost control of the ball just before crossing into the end zone during a game against the Rams, costing his team a crucial touchdown. Fast forward to this Sunday’s matchup against the Titans, and Demercado repeated the same costly error. On what looked like a spectacular 72-yard touchdown run, Demercado prematurely released the ball before actually breaking the plane of the end zone. This miscue resulted in a touchback, handing possession over to the Titans instead of adding points to the Cardinals’ scoreboard.
This turnover sparked the Titans’ most impressive offensive drive of the game. Quarterback Cam Ward connected with Calvin Ridley on a massive 47-yard pass, setting up a near-touchdown situation. Ward then found rookie Gunner Helm near the 1-yard line, inching the Titans closer to the end zone. Just a couple of plays later, Tony Pollard punched it in for a touchdown, trimming the Cardinals’ lead to 21-12.
Interestingly, the Titans chose not to attempt a two-point conversion, a decision that kept the game as a two-score contest. However, kicker Joey Slye’s missed extra point meant the Titans still had a chance to catch up, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
And this is the part most people miss: these kinds of mistakes highlight how critical ball security is, especially in high-stakes moments. Could better coaching or more focused training prevent such errors? Or are these just inevitable human slips in a fast-paced sport? What do you think—should players be held more accountable for these mental lapses, or is it simply part of the game’s unpredictability? Share your thoughts below, because this debate is far from over.
