Difficult Outing For Fernando Mendoza Lowlighted By 80-Yard Interception

Though only in the preseason, Fernando Mendoza‘s start in a Las Vegas Raiders jersey hasn’t gone the way he’d hoped.

Yet to eclipse 100 yards in his two games so far, the number one overall pick’s most recent performance was certainly one to forget last night against the Texans. He went just 8-of-15 passing for a total of 86 yards, just six yards more than the return score for rookie Wade Woodaz off of Mendoza’s interception.

Mendoza did not show any lack of effort, chasing Woodaz down at full speed over 50 yards before eventually missing the diving tackle.

Mendoza didn’t have much to say on the interception other than the fact that it was just a “bad throw.” He didn’t offer much insight and doesn’t seem bothered by the mistake, even though it was in his first start.

The Raiders have yet to announce their starting quarterback, but veteran Kirk Cousins is likely to land at the top of the depth chart and ahead of rookie Mendoza. It is important to note that this was likely the case before the poor outing from Mendoza on Thursday, but his rookie year seems to be on track as the number two option, at least for the first half of the season.

This could be a good thing for Mendoza, as carrying the weight of learning and adapting to the NFL while also having to win games has gone poorly in the past for some number one overall picks and can be detrimental to confidence, which can affect your entire career. Especially with a team that hasn’t been very good recently and doesn’t seem projected to do well this year, Cousins’ leadership could be the perfect way to bridge Mendoza into the pros.

Mendoza will likely start some games this season, but he’s a future investment and is embracing his role on the team, whether that is on the bench or starting.