3 studs from the Arizona Cardinals Week 5 loss vs. the Bengals
By Sion Fawkes
2 - Emari Demercado, RB
When James Conner went down with an injury, it was the moment of truth for Emari Demercado. And fortunately for the Arizona Cardinals, the undrafted rookie looked good in his 10 carries, gaining 4.5 yards per attempt and a score, keeping the running game serviceable.
We don’t know if Conner will miss any time, but if he does, Demercado’s performance foreshadows that the Redbirds are in good hands. Regardless of whether Conner returns next week, expect Demercado’s role to expand thanks to his performance this past Sunday, and he should become a pivotal part of the Cardinals offense as the season progresses.
Conner is also aging as a running back, so if Demercado keeps up his pace when given the opportunity, he could end up as a primary back in the system. While he’s not big enough to be a traditional featured back, Demercado would make a good one-two punch, but first, let’s see if he can be consistent.