Kirk Cousins remains in pole position to start for the Las Vegas Raiders after head coach Klint Kubiak made his stance clear following the team’s preseason opener. Rookie Fernando Mendoza now faces an uphill battle to change that.
Cousins has taken the first-team reps throughout training camp, giving the veteran an early advantage in the competition. Kubiak’s latest comments suggest the Raiders are comfortable with that arrangement for now.
Mendoza did offer plenty of encouragement in his first NFL appearance, but he also showed there is still work to do.
Kirk Cousins has the advantage as Fernando Mendoza continues to develop
Speaking after the Raiders’ 27-14 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, Kubiak was asked about the quarterback competition.
‘Kirk’s been getting the reps with the ones. I think he’s had a solid training camp, and you know it’s his job to lose,’ Kubiak told reporters.
Cousins played only the opening drive but made it count. He completed five of six passes for 50 yards before finding tight end Michael Mayer for a 13-yard touchdown.
Mendoza then took over and completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. After a difficult start, the rookie settled down and later found Mike Washington Jr. for a six-yard score.
Kubiak was pleased with what he saw from the first overall pick.
‘He led a good scoring drive,’ the Raiders coach said. ‘As far as getting and out of the huddle, commanding the group, getting the play calls down, I saw the same guy I see in practice.’
However, Mendoza was also pressured on 38.9 per cent of his dropbacks and was sacked once. Kubiak believes those moments will become valuable lessons for the rookie.
‘He knows he can’t take a sack, and but those are things he’s going to grow from,’ he added.
Mendoza was far more critical of himself after the defeat.
‘Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today,’ he said. ‘But it’s a growing experience. I feel like we’re all growing, and it showed me that I need to grow a lot.’
Cousins, meanwhile, praised his young competitor, saying Mendoza ‘did a great job’ and ‘operated well’.
For now, the veteran remains the clear favourite to take the QB1 role when the regular season begins. Mendoza will get more opportunities during the remaining preseason games, giving him a chance to show Kubiak that the competition should not be over yet.
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