Is Emari Demercado playing today? Why Cardinals RB is off to slow start in Week 5

Mike Moraitis

Is Emari Demercado playing today? Why Cardinals RB is off to slow start in Week 5 image

Following significant injuries to James Conner and Trey Benson, the Arizona Cardinals were expected to feature Emari Demercado this week.

Demercado has served as a backup the last few years but he was the next man up on the depth chart behind Conner and Benson, which led many to believe he would be Arizona's featured back in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.

However, that has not been the case early on in Arizona. Here's what's going on in the desert.

Is Emari Demercado playing today?

UPDATE: The Cardinals are through four drives and not only has Demercado not touched the ball, even Bam Knight is getting work ahead of him.

Hard to figure out what's going on here, but it's not good.

END OF UPDATE

UPDATE: We're through two drives and it doesn't look like Demercado has seen the field. He doesn't have a tough yet.

Meanwhile, it's all Michael Carter, who has seven touches for 29 yards and a score.

END OF UPDATE

Yes, Demercado is active, but he didn't see the field at all on the opening drive.

Instead, the Cardinals surprisingly ran Michael Carter as the startingr running back. He received three carries for seven yards and scored a touchdown on the opening series, while also adding one catch for nine yards.

Not a good start for the Demercado.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.