Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak isn’t budging on an ideology he’s had through training camp even though it may be time
The Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak doesn’t think it’s time to name a starting quarterback yet between Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins.
The Las Vegas Raiders have finished up their preseason and training camp. So, the question at hand is now who will be the starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. As he has all offseason, head coach Klint Kubiak doesn’t want to say yet.
“I still don’t think we need to name anybody. We’ve got a lot to talk about at a lot of positions. We want to watch the film and talk about everything as a staff,” Kubiak told reporters after the preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Kubiak’s philosophy is that naming a starter too early could hurt how a player thinks or prepares. He doesn’t want anyone getting too comfortable.
“We’ve got another week of playing,” Kubiak said last week when he was asked the very same question. “I don’t want anyone to be comfortable in their job,” Kubiak said. “It should always be that way for all positions. So, let’s keep going forward.”
But now we’re here, with the offseason officially finished. With a break next weekend before the season starts, the Raiders will have to throw someone out there against the Dolphins. And that’s not much time. The quarterbacks kind of need to know, even if it is two weeks out. The games have been played, and the guys kind of know where they stand anyway. So, why not do it? It may be time to at least do it in-house and not really tell the media who it is yet.
Most people already know who the Raiders’ starting quarterback will be anyway
Based on the way things have played out, Kirk Cousins will likely be the starter in Week 1. He’s gotten the bulk of the starter reps in practice and has never actually gotten reps with the backups. Meanwhile, Mendoza has gotten primarily reps with the second-string guys and a handful of reps with the starters.
Then, Cousins has started two preseason games, played just a few possessions, and then never saw the field again that game. Not to mention, he didn’t dress out for the second preseason game. That alone told us that he’s considered a starter, since most of the starters didn’t play. It’s going to be Cousins. Everyone kind of already assumes that, even the Dolphins. There’s really no competitive advantage to this anymore. Until then, it’s time to cut from 90 to 53 players.
