Klint Kubiak made it abundantly clear on Monday that the Las Vegas Raiders don't have a quarterback controversy on their hands. Kirk Cousins is the starter, and Fernando Mendoza is not. The rookie will play "at some point," but that will not be in Week 8, barring an injury or an unforeseen scenario.
But on the heels of the Silver and Black's fourth straight loss, I'll continue to advocate for giving the young gun a chance. Sure, he has a lot to learn, and Cousins is not playing bad football. But Mendoza could play even better football and help unlock several members of the organization along the way.
Again, the Raiders need to make changes and adjustments all throughout the roster; Cousins is not solely or even chiefly to blame for the team's recent skid. But at this point, it's clear that teams have Cousins figured out, and that Mendoza could bring several elements to the offense that he just can't.
3 elements that Fernando Mendoza could bring to Raiders' offense that Kirk Cousins does not
1. Mobility
Mendoza's mobility is supremely underrated. He flashed an ability to get out of the pocket and make plays in his NFL debut in Week 5, evading pressure and either scrambling or finding a receiver to dump it off to. Cousins was never a mobile quarterback, and he is especially not at 38 years old.
With opposing teams playing a lot of man coverage against the Raiders, and with the offensive line holding up only inconsistently, Mendoza could have success taking off and running, which would give opposing defenses something else to worry about. A mobile quarterback also helps the run game.
2. Arm strength
Cousins has the 22nd-best PFF rating on deep throws out of 34 qualifiers, which isn't good enough. His arm lacks strength on deep throws to the sideline; him underthrowing Jalen Nailor on Sunday was just one example. Cousins' arm lacks pop anymore, and he can't fit the ball in tight windows.
While Mendoza may not have the experience that Cousins does, he has better arm strength to toss it downfield. That arm strength also becomes a factor when a quarterback is pressured or off-balance and must get the ball to a receiver on time and on the money, with speed.
And Mendoza can do that with a simple flick of the wrist.
His arm is strong enough to rifle throws in near the sideline and get the ball to pass-catchers on their back shoulder without it wobbling or being in harm's way. When it comes to arm talent, Mendoza just has more of it than Cousins does right now, and that won't change with time.
3. Ability to have success under pressure
At the beginning of the year, Cousins was great against the blitz, but struggled when pressured. That's a key distinction to make. Now, he's just struggling against both. Luckily, Mendoza was one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in college football last year when under pressure.
Not only does Mendoza's mobility buy him time, and his arm strength allows him to still have success under less-than-desirable circumstances, but it's a mentality thing as well. Mendoza will sit in there and take a big hit to deliver a throw, and his young body can handle it.
When it comes to Cousins, he has great pocket presence and has avoided sacks, but he isn't giving the offense anything when he's pressured. Sure, avoiding sacks is a good thing, but it's not as beneficial as making plays under duress. Mendoza can and is willing to do that.
Mendoza may not have as good a grip on the playbook as Cousins does, nor does he have as many banked reps. Things will catch the young quarterback by surprise that Cousins has seen a million times and wouldn't be fooled by. But Cousins learned through experience, and Mendoza should too.
And when Mendoza figures it out, which he will, then he provides a higher ceiling for this offense. For a Raiders team that isn't likely to make the playoffs, or at least doesn't look capable of making any noise at this juncture, that is more important than being slightly better in the meantime with Cousins.
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