Fernando Mendoza did not need a coach or analyst to explain what went wrong in the Las Vegas Raiders’ preseason finale.
The rookie quarterback could feel it.
“The NFL is really tough,” Mendoza said after Thursday’s 18-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “There is a big jump going from college to the NFL, and the speed, and there are just so many different aspects.”
That speed currently appears to be Mendoza’s greatest opponent.
The 49ers intercepted him once and sacked him twice as Mendoza completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards. It marked his second consecutive difficult outing after he threw a pick-six against Houston.
More concerning than one mistake is the direction of Mendoza’s preseason numbers.
After a promising debut against Arizona, his completion percentage declined from 62.5 percent to 53.3 and then 50. His yards per attempt fell from 6.06 to 5.73 and finally 4.07.
The pressure splits explain the decline.
Mendoza completed nearly 69 percent of his passes and averaged 6.84 yards per attempt from a clean pocket. Under pressure, his completion rate collapsed to 23 percent while his average fell to 1.62 yards per attempt. He also took four sacks and generated minus-1.54 EPA per pressured play.
His average time to throw remained steady at approximately 2.8 seconds. Mendoza is not simply holding the ball forever. NFL rushers are reaching him faster, defensive backs are closing throwing windows sooner and decisions that worked in college are becoming dangerous a fraction of a second earlier.
“There are monsters on the other side of the ball, and you need to get the ball out quick,” Mendoza said. “It teaches you that you need to play on time, and there’s less margin for error.”
Kirk Cousins provides an example of what experience can do within those compressed margins.
The 38-year-old is not Las Vegas’ quarterback of the future. His best physical years are behind him, and he joined the Raiders after a disappointing stint with the Atlanta Falcons.
He does, however, know how to make the NFL move at a manageable speed.
Cousins completed 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards against San Francisco, directing the Raiders into scoring range on both possessions, in a performance Mendoza recognized as “ruthlessly efficient.” Across two preseason appearances, he finished 13-for-17 with one touchdown, no interceptions and positive EPA in both games. He was not hit once despite his limited mobility.
Those numbers are not spectacular. That is the point.
Cousins no longer needs to overwhelm defenses physically. Years of experience allow him to identify pressure, anticipate openings and deliver the ball before trouble arrives. Mendoza is still processing those lessons after the “monsters” are already closing in.
Head coach Klint Kubiak acknowledged the gap when he said Mendoza “needs another three preseason games.”
He will not get them. With Las Vegas opening against Miami on Sept. 13, the Raiders must prepare to win while giving their rookie time to adjust.
That was the purpose of signing Cousins before drafting Mendoza.
Cousins may be old and imperfect, but he already understands the speed of the NFL. Until Mendoza does, that makes the veteran the right choice for Week 1.
