The Las Vegas Raiders got a solid showing from QB Fernando Mendoza, and he could get more time with the first-teamers.
The Las Vegas Raiders trotted out top overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza for his NFL debut in their preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, and they seem more than happy with the results. Mendoza did have a couple of three-and-outs, but he also lead a pair of drives that produced his first touchdown pass and a missed field goal.
That led to the possibility that Mendoza could get more time with the first-teamers going forward, according to coach Klint Kubiak in a report from Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk that referenced Kubiak’s video press conference today.
“We’re going to put a plan together this week and that’s something that we’re talking about as a coaching staff right now,” Kubiak said. “But, whether it’s Aidan O’Connell, Kirk, or Fernando — I would say all three of those guys deserve first-team reps. But we’ve got to go put a plan together on how we’re going to split them up.”
It’s a good problem to have considering where the Raiders have been at quarterback recently, and Kubiak called Mendoza an “ascending” players, despite the fact that Mendoza was self-critical after the game.
“The best quarterbacks I’ve been around are the ones who are hard on themselves,” Kubiak said. “They put the finger on them before they put it on their teammates. I think he played good football last night and is going to continue to get better.
“I think the thing that stood out for me again is we put a lot on his plate and all the quarterbacks’ plates getting read for this preseason game, and he went out and executed the way that he does in practice.”
Kubiak knows how bad things can get when the opposite happens, and he referenced that scenario while praising some of Mendoza’s specifics.
“Some guys, they get to the game and things change on them. It moves fast and they freak out,” the coach added. “He was the opposite. He was very calm, he was getting the calls in, he was seeing coverage well. I like the way that he moved in the pocket, got outside, and extended some plays.”
For Kubiak, this comes back to consistent practice, which is where good game-day habits are developed. He wants to see more of the same, and Mendoza will get a different test next week when the Raiders travel to Texas for a series of joint practices with the Houston Texans in advance of their preseason game against the Texans next Thursday night.
"I think that Fernando has had a really good week of practice and the things that he did in the game are things I’ve seen him do in practice,” Kubiak concluded. “He’s consistent. That consistency from the position is important. I didn’t see any game-day surprises just because the moment was a little big. He was the same guy.”
