The Las Vegas Raiders' poor Week 5 performance against the New England Patriots showed nearly every area that still needs to improve. The Raiders were in Boston but looked like a team mentally in Las Vegas. Then, they simply were outmatched.
With the number of players the Patriots had out, their blowout win over the Raiders was at least as much mental as it was physical, or anything roster-related. There seemed to be little to take from such an ugly loss early in Klint Kubiak's tenure, after the team started the season 3-1.
Perspective Is Reality
On the surface, the Raiders' Week 5 loss is primarily a game Kubiak's coaching staff can use to help clean up a long list of mistakes that have continued over the past two weeks. Overall, the entire team performed so poorly that it should be easy for the coaching staff to get their points across.
Yet the Raiders' loss to the Patriots helped the Raiders move their development plan for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza along. By getting Mendoza on the field late in the game, it gave Mendoza his first taste of a regular-season game at the professional level, without him having to start a game.
Why Playing Mendoza Changed Week 5
The game was out of the Raiders' reach, removing any pressure from the rookie. Las Vegas has been preparing Mendoza to play since he was drafted. Kubiak noted the confidence the coaching staff has in Mendoza, but also confirmed that Kirk Cousins is still the team's starting quarterback.
"That's why he's here. We have a lot of confidence in him. Kirk's [Cousins] the starter, and if Fernando's [Mendoza] called upon, he'll be ready to go just like he was. I just think as an offense we underperformed. We scored on three of 11 possessions. And it starts with all of us. So, we're all in it together. We all did not get it done," Kubiak said after the game.
Kubiak elaborated on Mendoza's brief performance. Mendoza completed his first five passes in a row against a less aggressive Patriots' defense. Still, it was hard not to notice the differences between Cousins and Mendoza on Sunday.
“He was prepared. He played fast. He got through his progressions quickly. He knew his hot issues. It was a solid start for him. I think with any reps that you get, it's going to make you better. The live game reps are the best medicine, but him just getting time with our starting offensive line in an on the road environment was a very positive experience for him. Although it wasn't for us," Kubiak said.
There are few positives, if any, to take from Las Vegas' loss to the Patriots that outweigh Mendoza's quick stint on the field. The Raiders' Week 5 loss reminded everyone that Las Vegas is just beginning its rebuild, in more ways than one.
Mendoza getting playing time was the biggest reminder of how early they are in their rebuild and added value to a loss that otherwise had little value. It was the best part of the game, as it showed what this Raiders offense could look like right now, even with receivers out.
Despite Sunday's ugly loss to the Patriots, Cousins has approached this week's practices the same way he did previously. The veteran quarterback has already started to put the team's poor Week 5 outing behind him.
“Stay the course. Get back to work. You can't have the poor me’s, and you can't brush it off as no big deal. I think it's somewhere in the middle. You have to find that balance of how you come back to work with it hurts, it matters to you, but at the same time, new week,” Cousins said before practice on Wednesday.
Things will be back to normal on Sunday when the Raiders face the Buffalo Bills at home in Week 6. Yet one can only wonder how much more Mendoza will develop in the background, and at what point his development happens more quickly on Sundays than during the week.
Time will tell, but there is no rush for Mendoza to get on the field. It will happen soon enough.
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