Training camp is about getting better, and the Las Vegas Raiders certainly did that in Week 1 of their summer sessions under new head coach Klint Kubiak. Chiefly among those players showing growth was rookie Fernando Mendoza, who came out of the gates firing with the second-team offense.
Well, until Sunday's practice.
With Raider Nation and NFL Network on hand to take in the last workout before the pads come on on Monday, Mendoza took his share of tumbles. It was widely reported that the rookie quarterback had his worst day yet, perhaps even a bad one, which is, to some, a terrible, terrible sign.
But his rough day may have been just what he needed. Hard lessons must be learned in the NFL, and regular season football, especially in Las Vegas, isn't exactly adversity-free. Mendoza needs to know that when things aren't going well, the only way out is through. There is nowhere to hide.
If he learned that lesson on Sunday, then it wasn't a wasted day or a sign of regression. It could actually be a sign of progress and precisely what the doctor ordered before the live bullets start flying and contact is allowed.
Fernando Mendoza had a hard time at Raiders' recent training camp practice
To start, let's go over what exactly went wrong for Mendoza on Sunday. According to The Athletic's Sam Warren, the rookie quarterback wasn't as clean as he was in previous days, and he made his first two glaring mistakes of training camp.
One of them was an underthrow on a ball to Malik Benson that reporters said could have been a touchdown, but almost turned into an interception. Then, he made an ill-advised throw that cornerback Greedy Vance Jr. did intercept and would have easily taken to the house for a pick-6.
ESPN's Ryan McFadden also noted that the second-team offense had a lot of pre-snap issues and were forced to call a timeout in the two-minute drill, which, to a large extent, falls on Mendoza's shoulders. Warren also added that his unit had a handful of procedural penalties in team period.
Obviously, none of that is good, but it's not really the end of the world, either. One bad day doesn't define Mendoza, and adversity is woven into the fabric of football. It is a difficult game, and Mendoza doesn't need to be heading into the preseason feeling invincible or like he can do no wrong.
Plus, Kubiak and his staff have preached all offseason that mistakes are okay, but they really don't want players making the same mistake twice. This is a prime opportunity for Mendoza to show the coaches that he is the mentally tough player everyone thinks he is and that he can bounce back.
It doesn't sound like it changed Kubiak's view of Mendoza, either, as when asked by NFL Network's David Carr and Omar Ruiz after practice about his view of the young quarterback, Las Vegas' new head coach still spoke highly of him.
"Been really pleased with him. Just a really solid work ethic. Good young man that's got the right head on his shoulders," Kubiak said. "It's a game that has a lot of adversity, so people that have a level head and can just come back the next day tend to have success. He's early in the process, he's getting a lot thrown at him, but I would say his work ethic has been impressive."
Based on Kubiak's follow-up comment, Mendoza's rough day could actually be a blessing in disguise. Kubiak was asked about how the team will know when Mendoza is ready to play, and his comments read like a coach who is begging his young quarterback to respond with the right approach.
And he did.
"When he gets in the game, does the other 10 guys elevate their level of play?" Kubiak asked. "Whether it's completing the ball, whether it's taking a smart sack, whether it's throwing a pick and then the next down, coming back [and] throwing a completion like he did today at practice."
Mendoza's tough showing gives him the chance to endear himself even more to his new coaches. If he can take what he learned on Sunday and come out stronger on the other side in padded practice on Monday, yet another challenge, then Mendoza will emerge from this smelling like roses.
Is it ever preferable for a promising young player to have a rough day? Certainly not. In a fantasy world, the Raiders have a perfect quarterback. But that's not reality, and the NFL is going to challenge Mendoza far more often than it is going to bow down for him or make it easy on him.
It's all about how he responds. And something tells me that Mendoza, being as smart, tough, resilient and relentless in his pursuit of perfection as he is, will respond just fine and use this as an opportunity to grow and show his coaches that they can't keep him on the sidelines for long.
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