LAS VEGAS — The Raiders wrapped up their preseason Thursday with an 18-12 loss to the 49ers.
They finished the preseason with a 1-2 record and now set their sights on their season opener against the Dolphins on Sept. 13.
Here are some takeaways from a sluggish preseason finale:
Quarterback competition may have been settled
With Kirk Cousins opening the game and directing two field-goal drives before giving way to Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders got one final side-by-side look at the two quarterbacks ostensibly competing for the starting job.
How genuine that competition ever was remains open to debate. But until coach Klint Kubiak makes an official declaration, Mendoza technically remains in the running to start the season opener.
Practically speaking, however, every logical sign points to Cousins.
The Raiders brought in the veteran specifically to buy Mendoza time and to avoid the mistake so many teams have made by rushing a young quarterback onto the field before he is ready. Mendoza may be the future face of the franchise, but Cousins was signed to protect that future while stabilizing the present.
If there were any lingering questions about the pecking order, Cousins may have answered them Thursday night.
He was hardly spectacular. In fact, it is worth noting that the Raiders’ first-team offense failed to reach the end zone on either of his two possessions against a defense made up largely of 49ers backups. That is not exactly the emphatic closing argument Cousins might have hoped to make.
But he was steady, efficient and, most importantly, mistake-free. Cousins was 8-of-11 passing for 51 yards, moved the Raiders into scoring position twice and avoided the kind of damaging play that can swing a game — and a quarterback competition.
Mendoza’s night was considerably more uneven.
For the second consecutive game, the rookie was intercepted, this time sailing a pass to Jalen Nailor over the middle. Nailor climbed to make the catch, but the ball glanced off his hands and into the arms of 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune.
The throw was high, but it was not entirely on Mendoza. Nailor had a chance to make the play, just as Mendoza had to operate under increasingly difficult circumstances once the Raiders began turning to their backups in the second quarter.
The offensive line offered him little protection. Mendoza was sacked twice in the second half and spent much of the night throwing with defenders closing around him. That pressure helped explain his ragged first-half numbers — 5-of-9 passing for only 38 yards — and made it difficult for him to establish any rhythm.
Mendoza finished 7-of-14 passing for 57 yards.
Still, quarterback competitions are often decided as much by who avoids losing the job as by who emphatically wins it. Cousins provided calm and control. Mendoza supplied another reminder that, for all his promise, he remains a rookie navigating the mistakes and growing pains the Raiders signed Cousins to absorb.
Thursday night did not necessarily reveal which quarterback has the brighter future.
It may have confirmed which one is better prepared for the present.
Mike Washington Jr. continues to make his case
With the Raiders still holding their breath over Ashton Jeanty’s sprained ankle, Mike Washington Jr. continued doing everything he could to lower their anxiety.
The fourth-round rookie out of Arkansas punctuated an impressive preseason Thursday night by rushing eight times for 49 yards — an average of 6.1 yards per carry. That pushed his preseason total to 168 yards on 23 attempts, a striking 7.3 yards per carry.
Yes, much of Washington’s production came against backups. But eventually, production demands attention, regardless of who is lined up on the other side. Washington repeatedly displayed the combination of size, burst and power that persuaded the Raiders to invest a fourth-round pick in him.
More importantly, his success appears transferable. Washington runs decisively, gets downhill quickly and has enough speed to turn a crease into a substantial gain. He has not merely collected yards; he has consistently looked like an NFL running back.
That matters considerably while Jeanty’s immediate availability remains uncertain.
Washington cannot replace everything Jeanty brings to the offense, nor should the Raiders expect him to. But if Jeanty misses time, Washington has shown enough to give them confidence he can handle a meaningful portion of the workload without forcing the offense to dramatically change course.
In the short term, he looks capable of serving as a sturdy replacement. In the bigger picture, Washington may establish himself as something even more valuable: a powerful, complementary running mate who can lessen Jeanty’s workload and give the Raiders a potentially formidable one-two punch for years to come.
Wide receivers remain missing in action
Kubiak spent much of the preseason prodding the Raiders’ wide receivers, challenging them to create separation, execute their assignments and establish themselves as dependable pieces of the offense.
Against the 49ers, they once again failed to answer the call.
The Raiders’ receivers were largely invisible Thursday night. They did not consistently separate from coverage, make their presence felt or produce the kind of explosive play that might have changed the complexion of the offense.
Or Kubiak’s evaluation of the room.
It has become a recurring theme throughout the offseason.
Yes, the Raiders operated with vanilla game plans designed to reveal very little about what Kubiak intends to run during the regular season. And inconsistent quarterback play and shaky pass protection did the receivers few favors. But basic route-running, separation and playmaking ability should still emerge, regardless of how much of the playbook is being used.
Instead, the Raiders reached the end of the preseason without anyone emphatically seizing a prominent role.
That does not mean the receivers are incapable of contributing once Kubiak unveils the full offense. But after repeatedly challenging the group to step forward, the coach received few convincing answers. At some point, continued invisibility becomes more than a preseason footnote. It becomes a roster concern.
Fortunately for the Raiders, they hold the first waiver claim after finishing last season with the NFL’s worst record. That gives them the first opportunity to claim any eligible player waived during the league-wide roster reduction.
Given what their wide receivers showed — or failed to show — this summer, it would hardly be surprising if the Raiders used that advantage to add another option on cutdown day.
