After what looked like a promising 3-0 start to the season, the Las Vegas Raiders have come crashing down to Earth. The Raiders bring three consecutive losses, against the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, into their Sunday afternoon matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
But the troubling reversal of fortune has not made Raiders coach Klint Kubiak reverse his course when it comes to the quarterback position, which pits 15-year veteran starter Kirk Cousins against No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, who won the college football national championship with Indiana last season, and the Heisman Trophy to go with it.
Mendoza is not playing for the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday against the Rams, even though the rookie quarterback is healthy and active.
The question of when the No. 1 overall pick finally takes over seems more urgent than ever, but the status quo remains in effect as of Sunday.
Mendoza is not dealing with an injury. The Raiders’ Week 7 inactive list names quarterback Aidan O’Connell as the emergency third option and leaves Mendoza active as Cousins’ primary backup.
The depth chart has not changed since Klint Kubiak named Kirk Cousins the starter Sept. 2.
“Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp, and he’s earned it,” Kubiak said, according to CBS Sports. Mendoza is the first No. 1 overall quarterback to open a season on the bench since Baker Mayfield in 2018.
Mendoza’s Week 5 Debut for the Las Vegas Raiders
Mendoza made his regular-season debut Oct. 11, entering late in a 45-17 loss to the Patriots with about six minutes left. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards, including a 16-yard throw to Tre Tucker, and carried once for 3 yards. He threw no touchdowns or interceptions and took no sacks, with a fourth-and-4 scramble from the Patriots’ 14-yard line that came up short.
“He was prepared. He played fast. He got through his progressions quickly,” Kubiak said at the time.
“It wasn’t a great experience because of the overall outcome,” Mendoza said after the game. “Entering in what you would call your NFL debut, it’s a good experience.”
Mendoza took no snaps in Week 6, a 33-30 loss to the Buffalo Bills in which Cousins played the entire game. Cousins threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns in that loss. Through six games, he has 1,582 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 63.4% of his passes for a 98.0 passer rating.
Las Vegas Raiders Plan for Fernando Mendoza’s First Start
No date has been set for that first start. Sitting Mendoza for an extended stretch was always the plan, so his lack of playing time does not reflect his performance, according to CBS Sports.
The six games before the Raiders’ bye include the 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos and Browns, all of which rank among the top 10 in defensive EPA per play, according to TruMedia data cited by CBS. The Rams and Jets rate as average or better.
Mendoza has spent the season playing the scout-team quarterback, imitating opponents such as Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Some analysts pointed in September to the Nov. 1 game against the Jets as a possible entry point for Mendoza, and that matchup follows Sunday’s game against the Rams. The Raiders do not have their bye until December.
Baker Mayfield started in Week 4 of 2018, while Jared Goff did not start until Week 11 of 2016, according to CBS Sports.
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