The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza to become the franchise quarterback. But it's clear that they're bringing him along slowly, as they want to make sure that he is ready before throwing him into the fire of a regular season NFL game.
That’s where the signing of veteran Kirk Cousins came in. Cousins played under new head coach Klint Kubiak for three seasons, and in 2021, he had one of his best statistical seasons. While Cousins hasn’t been named the starter officially, it is expected that he will take on the role to begin the year.
During the preseason, Kirk Cousins has been steady and efficient, leading three scoring drives in three opportunities. Plus, his mastery of the offense is easy to see, as he makes the right reads and understands where he should go with the football.
His arm velocity has decreased, and that is noticeable at times. Even with that issue, he consistently moves the ball and gets first downs with the first-team offense. Let's rewind the tape to understand why Cousins is going to be under center on opening weekend.
Kirk Cousins proved this preseason why he's the Raiders' starting QB
It is easy to see that Cousins has full control when it comes to the film. To be fair, the offensive line has also put in work, which has allowed Cousins to avoid much pressure and make confident decisions in a clean pocket.
The concepts that Kubiak sets up make it simple for Cousins as well. On this third-down play below, the Raiders are lined up in a stacked formation with Jalen Nailor running a choice route. The San Francisco 49ers are running Cover 3.
After the snap, Cousins is patient as Nailor has a slow release. Nailor reads the zone and hits the hitch route between the defenders, and Cousins hits him quickly for the first down.
Choice routes are a concept Cousins is familiar with from his extensive time in the West Coast offense. This is a staple that Raiders fans should know as well, as Darren Waller and Derek Carr made a living running these routes together during their time with Jon Gruden.
Kubiak does a good job of setting up these matchups for Cousins. On the play below, the pre-snap design set it up. Tre Tucker comes in motion, which moves the Arizona Cardinals' cornerback and exposes the coverage.
After the snap, the team is running choice shallow, with Tucker running the shallow and Michael Mayer on the choice. The alignment confuses the Cardinals' defense, leaving Mayer wide open. Cousins makes the easy throw, and the play goes for six.
Kubiak was cooking with the choice concepts on the first drive.
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) August 14, 2026
The motion got Will Johnson inside and he follows Tucker. Then a natural pick route from Bech and Mayer is wide open and does the rest. pic.twitter.com/PvR8IV290Y
With the mixture of Kubiak scheming up plays and an improved offensive line, Cousins has looked comfortable as the Raiders' quarterback. His play should make him the starter in Week 1 over Mendoza.
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