"There is no controversy": Why Klint Kubiak must reassess Raiders' QB situation

"Kirk [Cousins] is our starting quarterback. There is no controversy there."

That's what Klint Kubiak told reporters following the Las Vegas Raiders' most recent setback at the hands of a short-staffed Los Angeles Rams team, their fourth straight loss. And to those two statements, I ask the Silver and Black's young head coach two questions: why, and why not?

Cousins certainly hasn't been the main issue contributing to this Raiders losing streak, but he's not exactly the solution, either. He's been figured out, and the Las Vegas offense has clearly reached its ceiling with him at the helm. And the team is struggling enough for there to at least be a discussion.

But it goes beyond that as well. I won't pretend to know more than Kubiak does about NFL offenses or the quarterback position, let alone his offense and his quarterbacks. But I can make a compelling case for ending the Kirk Cousins experiment and starting the Fernando Mendoza era right now.

The best time for Raiders to move from Kirk Cousins to Fernando Mendoza is now

Starting with the point that really matters: I think Mendoza gives the Raiders a better chance to win than Cousins. Some of the chief shortcomings of the offense are rooted in Cousins' physical limitations, and Las Vegas may find that Mendoza is a multiplier, or that he helps erase issues.

Other teams have realized that they can just play man coverage and blitz against the Silver and Black because Cousins isn't mobile enough to evade pressure, nor is his arm strong enough anymore to make throws when he is on his back foot or not in a perfect posture to deliver.

Mendoza has a whip for an arm, obvious mobility (which he put on display in his brief Week 5 showing), and he was touted in college as a young player who stays calm under duress. He's not afraid to hang in there and take big hits to deliver big-time throws. Cousins, unfortunately, is, for the most part.

And fans can't equate Cousins' ability to avoid sacks with having success under pressure, either. Sure, he's only been brought down 10 times, the fifth-fewest amount in the NFL, but Cousins' numbers have a staggering difference when kept clean vs. when being pressured (numbers via PFF).

Avoiding negatives does not mean that you are adding to the product on the field. That'd be like praising a receiver for not dropping the ball or a running back for not fumbling. Preventing losses is a skill, to an extent, but it's not one that Mendoza doesn't also have.

Both on third and fourth downs, as well as in the red zone, Cousins' shortcomings have been exposed. When the field is shrunk, or the situation calls for him to make a play, Cousins has rarely delivered. These are two areas that Mendoza thrived in during his college career.

Cousins is also struggling to see the field, which is one of the main arguments for playing a veteran with physical limitations. If Cousins doesn't have it between the ears or trust what he sees, or perhaps doesn't trust his arm to make the throws he does see, then that's an issue. Look at these four plays.

Quarterbacks make mistakes. Mendoza will make mountains of them when he goes into the game. But a veteran like Cousins should not be missing these opportunities, especially when receivers are running open and the protection is more than good enough to make bigger plays.

And maybe Cousins doesn't trust his receivers all that much. After all, Las Vegas' route-runners have been bad at separating against man coverage. But from a quarterback's perspective, that calls for someone to get the ball there quickly, precisely, and oftentimes, cleverly.

Mendoza is the king of the back shoulder throw and displayed pinpoint accuracy at Indiana and at times during the preseason, as well as in his debut. Windows are tight in the NFL, and if you don't have a rocket arm or trust in yourself to get it there, then it won't. Mendoza shouldn't have that issue.

To Cousins' credit, he is among the NFL leaders in passing touchdowns and yards, which is incredible, considering the Raiders' lack of wide receiver talent and woeful run game. But he may also be the one who is not maximizing the team's talent and harming the run game due to his deficiencies.

Maybe this is a knee-jerk reaction. Cousins was fine in Week 6, and overall, he has been fairly solid. But again, the league has figured him out, and you can't exactly fix Cousins' physical restrictions. Klint Kubiak has done all that he can with an aging quarterback, one wideout and no run game.

It's time for a change.

Especially on the heels of the team's fourth-straight loss. Say what you want about the math of the Raiders still being in it, but they are on a four-game losing streak and don't look like a playoff team in their current form. Why would they not give reps to the guy who will be their future under center?

If Las Vegas is going to lose and treat this year as a stepping stone, it needs to let itself and its fans at least see the future. Because while Mendoza provides a potential physical upgrade and spark, he also provides a mental and emotional boost for the franchise and fanbase. And he may just win more.

The heat is already picking up on John Spytek and Klint Kubiak, and if they continue to fall short by doing the same thing over and over again, then Raider Nation will eat them alive. Ownership won't be happy. But if they play the card that they've been dealt (the No. 1 pick), they can win a few hands back.

Because if you hit on the quarterback, that's all that matters. Poor decisions by executives and coaches can be cloaked by figuring out the equation under center, and the sooner the powers that be in Las Vegas remind folks that they have the guy, the sooner they can win some trust back with fans.

Plus, this is the top overall pick we are talking about. And 38-year-old Cousins. This isn't a mid-rounder like Carson Beck taking over, and it's not even like Ty Simpson replacing a legend and reigning MVP like Matthew Stafford. This is the No. 1 selection and a veteran stopgap.

No, the offensive line is not playing lights-out. No, the run game isn't supporting the quarterback. Yes, the defense is bad and putting more pressure on the offense. But that doesn't mean that the man under center isn't an issue. It doesn't mean that the Raiders can't look for improvements there.

Las Vegas is evaluating everything and looking for ways to improve in those facets, so why not at quarterback? If the front office and coaching staff are waiting for the perfect time to put Mendoza into the game, it will never come. Ever. This is an imperfect game; Kubiak has even said so himself.

What's the alternative? The Raiders insulate Mendoza and shield him from the reality of the NFL? The franchise babies him and protects him from anything that could possibly go wrong, as if that is how life in this league will be for him? As if the dude is that fragile? We know for a fact that he's not.

Expose Mendoza to all the elements. The good, the bad, the ugly. The wins, the losses. The highs, the lows. The successes, the failures. What good does hiding him do? Why is the situation not being ideal a reason not to start him? Since when is that the rationale for not playing a stud rookie quarterback?

If the Raiders are scared to put Mendoza into an imperfect situation, they drafted the wrong guy.

If they want to tell fans that Cousins is playing at a high level and helping this team win, recent results would suggest otherwise.

If Las Vegas wants to play its ace in the hole and take a risk on rocking the boat so that things could actually get better down the line, then it needs to put in Mendoza.

Not at the end of a blowout. Not next season. Not when the Silver and Black are mathematically eliminated. Not just because Cousins is hurt. But because Mendoza can actually help Kubiak accomplish the one thing that he promises to be all-in on: winning.

Take the leap, Klint.

Or at least acknowledge that there's a controversy, at the very least!

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