Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak sends clear message to Fernando Mendoza after Kirk Cousins’ Week 1 win
The Las Vegas Raiders will eventually go to Fernando Mendoza, but it’s clear that Klint Kubiak wasn’t going to keep Kirk Cousins as long as they’re winning.
The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-0 after beating the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, and there’s plenty to take away from the victory. Las Vegas learned the Dolphins might be the worst team in the NFL, sure.
But the Raiders also learned something about themselves: this team can compete in most games on its schedule. For a franchise that won three games last season, that’s all you can ask for.
Klint Kubiak is coming in and changing things. Most importantly, the Raiders have a quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can run the offense effectively. Yes, he threw two interceptions. But Cousins ran the offense the way it needed to. He didn’t throw for over 200 yards, but it’s not always about that.
Vegas still put up 27 points. The run game was great. Cousins operated well from under center in both the run game and the play-action game, and he threw three touchdown passes. He did what needed to be done to win, and the Raiders haven’t had that at quarterback in some time.
Fernando Mendoza is doing everything right on the sideline
Going forward, the Raiders have Fernando Mendoza, who can do those things and more. He’ll be able to throw the ball deep downfield. We know Cousins struggles with that, but Mendoza will bring that element to the offense.
If there’s one thing we learned about this game, it’s that Kubiak wants Mendoza to take all the mental reps and all the mental notes from what he saw from Cousins in his first NFL game on the sideline. A video is circulating right now of Mendoza on the sideline going through every single play called on his wristband, acting like he is in the game.
To some people, that may seem odd, but you have to love it. This guy is so dead set on being a good quarterback that he’s doing everything he can, even when he’s not on the field. He’s on the sideline looking at his wristband, calling the play out, repeating it in his head. You can see his lips moving.
He’s asking quarterback coach Mike Sullivan all the questions, and you can see Sullivan nod in approval. You have to love what you’re seeing from Mendoza, even though he’s not taking a snap.
Kubiak’s message to the rookie is simple
One thing Kubiak wants Mendoza to learn while he’s on the sideline comes down to a simple concept. As Kubiak put it:
“The NFL pocket evaporates quickly. You got to get the ball out quickly. The ball is on fire.”
The Raiders saw that from Cousins on Sunday. Kubiak wants Mendoza to learn that because Mendoza tends to hold on to the ball. We saw it in the preseason, and sometimes it got him hit when it probably shouldn’t have. But that doesn’t mean Mendoza will be a bad quarterback. That doesn’t mean he won’t be able to run this offense.
What Cousins is doing right now is what the offense is. Mendoza is going to get his shot, and sooner or later we’ll see what the No. 1 pick can do in this offense, with perhaps even more flexibility, because he’ll be able to throw the ball downfield more consistently than Cousins can. Kubiak’s message is clear. He wants Mendoza to watch exactly what Cousins is doing with the ball, getting it out quickly and just running the offense. If you’re a Raiders fan, you have to be over the moon about what you saw this weekend.
