Las Vegas Raiders QB coach Mike Sullivan has a big job in developing Fernando Mendoza, but he's done this before.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza has talked a lot about the drills he’s been doing to enhance his growth and development, but most Raiders fans don’t know a lot about the man who’s designing and implementing them.
That would be quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, who did this back in 2011 with the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants, then again with former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
“I had some time on my hands,” Sullivan said about his experience with Carr in a piece written by Sam Warren of The Athletic. “And I thought, ‘What a great way to get back into the game and work with a fine young quarterback.’”
Carr is out of the game now, although he was tempted to get back in during the offseason, and he said he still uses the drills Sullivan designed.
“His impact on me in just those few months was so great that I’m still using those things today,” Carr said. “I always joke that (former Raiders head coach Jon) Gruden has seen every clip of film ever in football history. I think Sully is another one of those guys for sure.”
Sullivan is a graduate of West Point who attended multiple other military schools, and he said he takes a military approach so that his quarterbacks can stay calm in the face of chaos.
“We try to do everything that we can to enable a quarterback, when he’s called on to perform… he’s not thinking too much. He’s kind of on autopilot,” Sullivan said. “He’s created muscle memory in his footwork, his upper body, his vision. He’s developed that kind of chemistry with his receivers and can anticipate the play call and knows the situation.”
Mendoza had to face plenty of chaos during his first start against the Houston Texans last week, and he made some big mistakes. But Sullivan’s approach isn’t just about discipline, and he mentioned the other elements that are involved.
“There has to be a positive approach (to coaching), and you want to have enthusiasm and be creative,” Sullivan said. “Sometimes, you have to change things up a little bit to get it to sink in.”
Coach Klint Kubiak believes in Sullivan’s approach, and so does offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, who was Kubiak’s QB coach with the Seattle Seahawks last season. They’re aligned on how they want to develop Mendoza, and Carr commented on the thoroughness of their combined approach.
“From a football aspect, I mean these guys are hard workers,” Carr said. “They’re grinding tape. They’re doing all the things you would want as a player. They’re trying to find that one thing that may cost us a game and so they can show you and then you’re ready for it in a game. We’re all human, we all may miss something, but if three of them are doing it, they’re probably not gonna miss a lot.”
That thoroughness is part of the logic behind not throwing Mendoza to the wolves too early in the season, and so far their patience has paid dividends. It’ll be different when the games start and the Raiders start to have issues in the games that count, but at least they’re laying a solid foundation for their new quarterback to succeed.
