Chaotic Cardinals: The Aftermath of a Terrible Performance
Hopeless. Chaotic. Terrible. These are all words that describe the state of the Arizona Cardinals. Starting an NFL season 2-0 was a high for the Cardinals. Losing three games straight has been a low for the Cardinals. The Tennessee Titans, whom they lost to on Sunday, were 0-4 before they beat the Cardinals. It is clear right now that the Cardinals are not happy with how they have been playing. The energy in the locker room has shifted from excited after the two straight wins to angry after the three straight losses. That was evident during the game on Sunday.
What Caused the Anger
Sometimes it is not about losing, it is about the way that you lose. Anyone watching that game on Sunday knows that the Cardinals had more talent than the Titans. They just failed to execute when it mattered most. The Cardinals made many mistakes in that game. In probably the most defining moment of the game, Emari Demercado took a handoff down the middle and took it 72 yards to the goal line, where he fumbled the ball, which resulted in a touchback. The fumble is not what caused so much anger; it was how he fumbled that left Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon furious at Demercado. Emari Demercado tossed the ball out of his hands before he reached the goal line. This left Cardinals fans and players angry and confused. The Cardinals ended up losing 22-21 after leading 21-6 before the fumble.
Jonathan Gannon Loses Control
Jonathan Gannon was furious with Demercado’s fumble. It is easy to see why a coach would be. However, instead of voicing his anger maturely, Gannon chose to hit Demercado in the stomach. Later, Jonathan Gannon explained to the media that he apologized to Demercado, calling his actions a mistake. That apology was not enough for the Cardinals, though. The Arizona Cardinals decided to fine Gannon $100,000 for this incident. It is one thing to hold a player accountable when they make a mistake. It is another thing to have so little control over your emotions that you smack your own player on the sidelines. This was a weird move from Gannon and certainly had Cardinals fans looking at him a little differently.
Anger is the underlying emotion for the Cardinals. The fans are furious, and so are the players and the coaches. The Cardinals can be successful by not letting the highs be too high and the lows be too low. Jonathan Gannon has already let the lows be too low by responding to a player’s mistake by smacking him. Gannon will need to learn how to respect his players if he wants them to listen to him. The Cardinals will need to learn to eliminate their mistakes going forward if they want to be successful this season.
