It was going to happen eventually, but the Las Vegas Raiders were finally able to give some playing time to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The No. 1 pick became a bit of an afterthought amid a strong start to the season for Kirk Cousins.
However, the Raiders crashed back down to earth in an embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots. Once the score got to 45-17, the team finally put Mendoza in.
He only got one drive, but he looked solid, completing six of eight passes for 48 yards. It’s too small of a sample size to read too much into it, but the Raiders will at least be happy to know he didn’t look like a disaster.
Mendoza has been a good teammate, but every player wants to play. He knew that his time would come eventually, so he’s been staying ready. The ever-positive Mendoza was still able to put a positive spin on his experience and how the offense played despite the ugly loss.
“It’s a good experience,” Mendoza said after the game. “Every rookie has it at some point, so it was just that time. I was really proud of how the offense rallied even late in the game, and with undeniable effort there at the end.”
How Long Until Raiders Start Mendoza?
The Raiders were fortunate to take advantage of the easy part of their early schedule because they’re about to get rough. The team is on a two-game losing streak and plays the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. After that, they play the Los Angeles Rams.
3-4 is looking like a very likely possibility, especially if the Raiders keep playing as they did against the Patriots. The more the team loses, the more likely it is that Mendoza starts.
After the Rams game, the Raiders play the New York Jets. That could be a good week to give Mendoza his first start. The team could also wait until after the Seattle Seahawks game in Week 10. The schedule gets much softer after that. If the Raiders are 3-7 or 4-6 after the Seahawks game, it’s probably time to give Mendoza a chance.
Patriots Pass Rush Killed Raiders
In Cousins’ defense, he has played really well when he’s been protected. Against the Patriots, he was pressured on nearly 40% of his dropbacks and was sacked three times. Cousins is 38 and was never very elusive. It’s going to be impossible for him to be effective if he’s constantly under pressure.
“They did a great job in their blitz package,” head coach Klint Kubiak said in his postgame press conference. “When you pass it that many times, there’s gonna be those. Overall, I think they did a great job in pressuring us today.”
Cousins wasn’t ready to blame the pass rush for all of the offense’s woes.
“I thought they had some good pressures, and they had a good plan,” Cousins said. “But just a play here and play there, these games can be fragile. If you can make a play here, that might change. But just didn’t have that.”
Fernando Mendoza Shares Strong Statement After Raiders Debut