Fernando Mendoza didn’t program to hold to ticker the replay of his preseason debut, a 27-14 loss Thursday for the Las Vegas Raiders to the Arizona Cardinals.
“Definitely (watching it) close aft this,” helium said done a chuckle astatine the squad dais. “I person thing other to truly bash tonight.”
Sounds astir right.
Drafted by the Raiders with this year’s apical prime to beryllium the look of the franchise, contiguous and future, Mendoza quarterbacked 4 drives Thursday with varying occurrence astatine Allegiant Stadium. He sandwiched 2 ineffective drives astir a thrust helium capped with a 6-yard onslaught to wideout Jack Bech for his first-ever NFL touchdown pass.
Preseason oregon not.
All told, Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and the scoring walk to spell with six yards rushing — on with a sack positive a fewer different hits. He flashed the limb strength, accuracy and poise that propelled Indiana to the nationalist title, knowing he’s yet to to maestro the nuance required to thrive successful the NFL.
Added Mendoza, clad postgame successful achromatic Raiders polo shirt: “It was an invigorating experience. There’s not galore moments erstwhile you consciousness afloat live and connected the tract is erstwhile you consciousness afloat alive. … It was large to get retired determination get my feet wet. Especially that archetypal drive, felt a small sped up.
“So overmuch anticipation and excitement. However, I consciousness similar my teammates astir maine protected maine precise well. They helped dilatory maine down. It was a large experience.”
Ups and downs
Mendoza’s inaugural grooming campy has been filled with ups and downs and ups, but helium doesn’t thin to enactment successful a rut and helium follows astir mishaps with pinpoint passes. His archetypal thrust Thursday — aft starting backmost Kirk Cousins marched the Raiders 68 yards successful 10 plays, throwing a 13-yard touchdown to choky extremity Michael Mayer — included a risky misfire to rookie moving backmost Mike Washington Jr. successful traffic.
His ensuing thrust was filled with the composure befitting of a Heisman Trophy winner.
Working nether halfway with Washington down him, Mendoza faked a handoff and dropped backmost to walk — zipping a laser betwixt 3 defenders to wideout Malik Benson, a chap rookie. Two plays aboriginal came a 53-yard gallop from Washington down to the opposing 15-yard line.
A mendacious commencement didn’t deter Mendoza, who missed to Benson amid interaction from the corner, and sum downfield connected the pursuing play would punctual a scramble for 7 yards. Then came different completion to Benson, with whom he’s developing conspicuous chemistry.
Washington turned a fourth-and-1 to first-and-goal with a 2-yard run.
Mendoza took his sack connected archetypal down, responding with a 6-yard summation to choky extremity Ian Thomas to acceptable up his scoring walk to Bech. A slant signifier opened the 2nd twelvemonth wideout and Mendoza led him distant from the defenders and into the extremity portion for his archetypal touchdown, too.
‘An ascending player’
Raiders manager Klint Kubiak said Mendoza “led a bully scoring thrust arsenic acold arsenic getting successful and retired of the huddle and commanding the radical and getting the playcalls down. I saw the aforesaid feline that we’ve seen successful practice. I spot an ascending subordinate who we’ve conscionable got to support getting better.”
Kubiak’s crippled publication called for 2 much drives for Mendoza starring the second-team offense: a three-and-out and a 10-play saunter for 47 yards against Arizona’s third-team defense. Mendoza demonstrated comfortableness moving done his progressions and pivoted distant from his superior reads, but kicker Kansei Matsuzawa missed a 38-yard tract extremity disconnected the close upright.
Out went Mendoza for Aidan O’Connell with 12:33 to play, but not earlier leaving a favorable content connected second-team halfway Jordan Meredith.
“Just successful general, I consciousness similar everybody successful the huddle was listening,” Meredith said. “Fernando was giving retired the calls.
“You tin spot everybody was locked successful looking astatine him, making definite they understood what the play was. I thought it was large by the full unit.”
Not Mendoza, lamenting his mistakes intermittently passim his call-and-response. The incompletions — similar an overthrow successful the extremity portion to wideout Deven Thompkins, his last walk — mistimings made their people much connected Mendoza than his touchdown toss. His obsession with betterment has impressed his teammates and coaches passim grooming camp.
Now helium has crippled portion to comb done for improvements.
Not that he’d privation it immoderate different way.
“It’s not scripted. It’s the existent game. There’s nary saying what could happen,” helium said. “All you tin power is that contiguous moment. I look guardant to learning from it.
“It’s a large moment. Especially being capable to play successful the NFL and having truthful overmuch gratitude. But besides wanting to instrumentality vantage of the opportunity.”
Contact Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com.
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