Fernando Mendoza hopes to rely on what he learned from Kirk Cousins when he makes his first NFL start
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — When Fernando Mendoza was working his way toward becoming the Raiders' starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins mentored the rookie rather than shunning him.
That was despite knowing Mendoza would eventually replace Cousins, which occurred Tuesday when the 15-year veteran was traded to Minnesota.
Mendoza hopes to rely on what he learned from Cousins when he makes his first start for Las Vegas on Sunday against visiting Seattle.
“It would have been really easy for Kirk, being a veteran quarterback and having already proved everything, to be a little bit more dismissive,” Mendoza said Wednesday. “But he had me with open arms and has taught me so many things. Whether it’s film study, how to operate as a starting quarterback, all the different multifaceted approaches that have made him so successful throughout his career, he has shared with no restrictions or no constraints.”
This is the moment the organization knew was coming at some point and Raiders fans have anticipated since it became clear the club would select Mendoza with the top pick in this year's draft.
Mendoza was coming off a season in which he captured the Heisman Trophy and led former basketball powerhouse Indiana to its first national championship in football.
Secondary-market ticket prices for Sunday's game have more than doubled at Vivid Seats since news broke of the trade and Mendoza's elevation. The lowest-priced ticket on the resale app went from $176 to $365. At TickPick, another resale site, the cheapest ticket went from $282 to $395.
Mendoza had his chance to run the first-team offense Wednesday for the first time since he was promoted. The Raiders went through a walk-through rather than a full practice, but wide receiver Tre Tucker said Mendoza impressed even in that setting.
“We’ve been seeing it all year,” Tucker said. “He’s been taking reps with us, he’s been doing everything. You see a throw in practice and you're like, ‘Wow.' So for that to be out there this Sunday is going to be fun.”
Mendoza will face a tough opponent in his debut start.
The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks lead the league in total defense, allowing 244.2 yards per game. Next are the Vikings at 280.0. Seattle is tied for fourth with Pittsburgh in scoring defense at 18.0 points allowed.
But the Seahawks enter the game with scant video of Mendoza to study. He has made just one appearance, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards in garbage time of a blowout loss to New England.
“We are going to watch his plays and lean on our information we had coming out of the draft process and put our best foot forward,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, who was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator last season, said the entire playbook will be at Mendoza's disposal.
“We gathered information on what every player can handle going back to April, and we have an awareness of his situation and him being in his first game,” Kubiak said. “However, we’re not peeling back anything, and we’re going to go do what the whole team does best.”
Most of what Mendoza has done this season has occurred behind the scenes in practice and with video and playbook study. Coaches and teammates have raved about his commitment to getting better, and they said Mendoza has shined in practice in recent weeks.
Cousins played so well — his 20 touchdown passes are second only to Cincinnati's Joe Burrow's 23 — that Kubiak wasn't in a hurry to take the 38-year-old off the field, even though the move was inevitable.
The question was when.
That happened Tuesday, when the QB-needy Vikings — coming off an embarrassing offensive performance Monday night in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo — sent a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Raiders for Cousins.
Mendoza was suddenly in charge in Las Vegas. The deal came together so quickly that Mendoza didn't have a chance to tell his family before the news broke.
“All the guys in the locker room love Kirk,” tight end Brock Bowers said. “He was a great locker room guy to have around, and I know all the media love him, too. It was definitely a tough loss for, I guess, the vibe in the locker room and the morale, but we're excited to see what Fernando can do. We all have trust and faith in him. We see what he's been doing in camp, so I'm excited to see what he does here.”
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