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LAS VEGAS — Fernando Mendoza’s preseason debut was fitting for the Raiders’ rookie quarterback.
In the Raiders’ 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Mendoza had moments when he looked like a young player still adjusting to the NFL’s speed. And moments when he showed why Las Vegas trusts the Heisman Trophy winner to be the future face of the organization.
Coach Klint Kubiak’s verdict: Mendoza looked like someone who has made significant strides in his development.
“I see an ascending player,” Kubiak reported Thursday night. “We just got to keep getting better.”
Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown during four drives. He is the first No. 1 pick to throw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut since Baker Mayfield in 2018.
Mendoza’s stat line was admirable. However, he couldn’t help but nitpick his misthrows and misreads. He pointed out that his timing and anticipation need improvement.
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“It showed me that I need to grow a lot,” Mendoza reported. “… I’m definitely [watching the game film] after this. I have nothing else to do tonight.”
When Mendoza entered the game at the 3:39 mark of the first quarter, he faced the tough challenge of upstaging veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins’ near-flawless scoring drive to begin the game. Cousins completed 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Mayer.
Mendoza’s first drive wasn’t as polished. He threw a pair of incompletions, and Las Vegas was forced to punt. Mendoza reported he felt too much excitement, causing him to be anxious in the pocket. He credited his teammates for calming him down after that drive.
He flipped the script on the second drive. Mendoza zipped the ball in between Arizona’s linebackers and safeties for a 19-yard completion to rookie wide receiver Malik Benson. Eventually, rookie running back Mike Washington Jr.’s 53-yard carry helped set up Mendoza’s 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jack Bech to tie the score at 14 with 3:16 to go in the second quarter.
“[I] look at the next play as a new opportunity because that’s the only one that matters, and that’s how you bounce back from adversity,” Mendoza reported.
His third drive resulted in a three-and-out. Mendoza’s fourth and final drive of the evening was much better. He completed four passes for 44 yards to put the Raiders in field goal range.
However, kicker Kansei Matsuzawa missed the 38-yard attempt at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“I just love his operation,” Benson reported of Mendoza. “The clear communication, the huddle. He’s very confident. But obviously, there’s a lot of work that all of us as a team [have] to do.”
Despite Mendoza’s strong performance, Kubiak reaffirmed that Cousins is in the driver’s seat to be the starting quarterback in Week 1.
“It’s his job to lose,” Kubiak reported.
Mendoza was surprised by two things in his first NFL game: Defenders being much faster compared with college and having to drive to the game.
“That was the first time I’ve ever done that because usually college, you just hop on the bus,” Mendoza reported. “It’s very regimented, so there’s a lot more autonomy that you get as an NFL player, a lot more flexibility, and I think that’s going to be beneficial in the future.”
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