Kirk Cousins reveals what he really thinks of Fernando Mendoza after benching him

Fernando Mendoza’s debut with the Las Vegas Raiders came in the worst possible scenario. The organization would have preferred to see the rookie quarterback enter the field to close out a comfortable victory, but his first minutes in the NFL occurred on a difficult night.

With the score completely decided against them, the Raiders decided to give him the opportunity in the 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots. The No. 1 overall Draft pick played just one offensive series, but he showed positive signs despite the circumstances.

Mendoza completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards, displayed the ability to get the ball out quickly and good mobility in the pocket. However, it is also true that his performance came against the Patriots’ second unit, so it is still too early to draw conclusions about his true impact in the NFL.

At the very least, Las Vegas found a small reason for optimism amid a negative night. For now, all indications are that Kirk Cousins will remain the starting quarterback, as the loss was not marked by mistakes from the veteran, who turned in a solid performance and avoided turnovers.

The pressure to hand the offense over to Mendoza will grow with every Raiders setback, but Cousins does not appear to feel that competition. After the game, the experienced passer backed the young talent.

“Did a nice job competing. I thought he played well and did a good job,” Cousins told reporters.

Klint Kubiak explains Fernando Mendoza’s entry

During the first four weeks of the season, Kirk Cousins had played at a level close to that of an MVP candidate, so the decision to keep Mendoza on the bench was straightforward for the coaching staff.

However, with the game completely out of reach against New England, head coach Klint Kubiak decided to give the rookie his first experience in an official NFL game.

The coach’s explanation was brief:

“Just wanted to get him some exposure,” Kubiak said after the game.

Although Mendoza’s participation was limited, the coach was satisfied with what the quarterback selected first overall showed.

“He did a good job,” Kubiak said about his performance.