Here's How Raiders Knew Mendoza Was Ready To Start

The Las Vegas Raiders will feature a new starting quarterback on Sunday, and they think Fernando Mendoza is going to play well. That goes at least somewhat counter to popular belief given that Mendoza will make his first start against the Seattle Seahawks defense, but Sam Warren of The Athletic picked out some moments in practices that showed why the Raiders have this belief. 

Start with his interaction with tight end Brock Bowers this week. Mendoza completed the pass, but he felt something was off, and he met with Bowers when the play was over to discuss how he thought the route should be run. 

The interaction between the rookie and the star was watched carefully by coach Klint Kubiak, and backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell was an eager observer as well. 

 It’s hard to go over there and say something,” O’Connell said, adding that to him it showed that Mendoza was ready. 

The Raiders have been very deliberate and intentional in developing Mendoza, so moments like this are anticipated and even expected as part of the plan. They chose quarterback Kirk Cousins as his mentor because of Cousins’ unique combination of maturity and experience, and another sign was when the coaches started to see a different level of throws. 

According to Warren, one turning point came during an October practice when Mendoza put together a series of throws that left O’Connell, quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan and assistant coach Mike McCoy “awestruck.”

That was another sign that he was ready, and everyone associated with Mendoza’s development says it wouldn’t haven’t happened without Cousins guidance. But there’s a time when game reps become essential, and Mendoza has reached that point in his development.

The Raiders don’t know exactly what will happen, but they do know Mendoza will be prepared. He’s at the facility almost round the clock, and some of his unique work habits are starting to make him stand out. 

Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko cites Mendoza’s knowledge of what he’s seeing as another huge step. He can now understand it and articulate it, which is why the Raiders are opening up their entire playbook for him on Sunday.

Mendoza was always going to play sooner or later, though, so that’s where the questions enter the picture. We’re about to find out just how ready the rookie quarterback truly is, and one of the biggest questions will be how he handles the level of adversity he’ll almost inevitably face on Sunday against the Seahawks.