On Sept. 2, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to name Kirk Cousins their starting QB heading into their Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins. Moreover, it will allow No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza to develop at a pace that doesn’t seem to rush him onto the field before he’s ready.
Last season with the Atlanta Falcons, Cousins played 302 pass snaps, leading to a PFF passing grade of 75.0. Moreover, the veteran threw for 1,721 yards and 10 touchdowns, with five interceptions. Cousins also recorded nine big-time throws and five turnover-worthy plays.
As a result, Cousins is a good stopgap for the Raiders as they try to be competitive while Mendoza learns to play under center and understands head coach Klint Kubiak’s offense. On Sept. 3, former Raiders QB Rich Gannon shared his thoughts on this decision.
“What a luxury, really, for a first-year head coach in Klint Kubiak and an organization that’s had a lot of turnover and some struggles at that position to have a guy like Kirk Cousins,” Gannon said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I would describe him as an air traffic controller. There’s really not a part of the offense that he doesn’t have his hands on.
“He’s been around a lot of different coaches and systems of football… I think the fact that Klint Kubiak and Kirk were together in ’19 and ’20 in Minnesota, and of course, in ’21, Klint was calling the plays. So, three years together, they have some history. I think that’s important. They know each other well.”
Rich Gannon Spotlights Kirk Couins, Klint Kubiak Connection
Furthermore, Gannon went into detail about the connection between Kubiak and Cousins, so the Raiders head coach knows the veteran signal-caller will make the right decision.
“I think each knows what to expect,” Gannon added. “Each knows what the other one likes, dislikes. And I think here’s the important word: there’s trust. And I can’t tell you how important that is for a quarterback and a play caller, that they trust. I trust that you’re not gonna hang me out to dry. I trust that you’re gonna put me in a good position each week.
“I trust that you’re gonna call the right plays at the right time. As a play caller, I trust when I call a shot play and it’s not there, you’re not gonna force it. You’re gonna find me a completion. You’re gonna check it down. I trust that you’re gonna get us into the right protection.”
Raiders Receive Strong Kirk Cousins Predicition
Despite being the placeholder for Mendoza, ESPN NFL analyst Booger McFarland sees Cousins as the Raiders’ starting QB for most of the season.
“Cousins should be the starter,” McFarland said on the Sept. 2 edition of “NFL Live.” “I think anytime that Tom Brady comes out and says how he likes to develop a quarterback, and we know what his imprint is on this organization, that’s what they’re going to do; I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see Fernando Mendoza until the bye week.
“I think they’re going to bring this young quarterback along slowly. Let’s not forget, he didn’t take but four or five snaps under center in college. So therefore, everything is new to him. Going under center, taking the snap, play-action pass, everything is so new.”
Rich Gannon Has Blunt Take on Raiders Naming Kirk Cousins Starter