Raiders Will Stick To Script With Their Quarterback Plan

The Las Vegas Raiders have a quarterback problem, but it has nothing to do with the play of Kirk Cousins. The Raiders weren’t able to protect Cousins, and the result was a brutal road loss to the New England Patriots. 

That led to a garbage-time appearance by rookie backup Fernando Mendoza, who led a successful drive deep into the red zone. The drive came up short of getting points when Mendoza’s fourth down run landed short of a first down, but there was a lot to like about the decisions he made and the way he ran the offense. 

This won’t change the play at quarterback going forward, however. Coach Klint Kubiak remains firmly committed to Cousins as his starter going forward, and only way Mendoza will get on the field consistently is if the Raiders fall apart and wind up facing a lost season. 

That could happen, and what Mendoza brings to the table is more mobility. He can use his legs when the pocket starts to collapse, which Cousins definitely can’t do, and the rookie from Indiana can also make plays with his legs. 

Kubiak said Mendoza did a “good job” and left it at that, per Ryan McFadden of ESPN, which was a smart move. He knows any further comments, good or bad, would generate commentary as a jumping off point, and the new coach has shown multiple times that he’s mastered that aspect of media relations.

At the same time, it’s hard not to notice how eager Mendoza is to get on the field. He talked about letting the offense down on his fourth quarter run, which is a fairly ridiculous comment to make after a garbage-time drive, but that’s also Mendoza in a nutshell. He’s sincere and driven to a fault, and it shows. 

Mendoza also said he’s going to keep on “controlling the controllables,” which is basically code for him wanting to get on the field sooner rather than later. The Raiders didn’t draft him to sit forever, and he’s making that clear with a comment that edges up to being edgy but stops short of the line. 

He also mentioned that it’s better to have a little experience rather than none, which is a little more code for what the rookie wants. He knows full well he’s not getting on the field as long as the Raiders are winning, but it’s hard not to read the writing on the wall. The plan may stay the same for now, but the future is coming regardless.