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Considering the numerous reports<\/a>\u00a0that surfaced leading up to Thursday’s preseason game between the\u00a0<\/span>Las Vegas Raiders<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and the Houston Texans<\/a>, it was somewhat surprising that first-year Raiders head coach\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Klint Kubiak declined<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0to name veteran\u00a0<\/span>Kirk Cousins<\/a>\u00a0the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback over rookie\u00a0<\/span>Fernando Mendoza<\/a> following Las Vegas’ 22-20 win.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While speaking with media members on Friday, Kubiak expanded on that decision.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n “I just don\u2019t think it ever benefits a player\u00a0<\/span>to know that they have a spot secured,” Kubiak said, per\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Myles Simmons<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0of Pro Football Talk. “If there\u2019s always a little bit of uneasiness about that, that benefits the whole team \u2014 the player and the team.”\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Those comments indicate Kubiak may know the identity of his Week 1 starter.<\/span> Cousins didn’t play against the Texans, and Mendoza’s first drive of the evening ended with an ugly pick-six<\/a>. In total, Mendoza completed 8 of 15 pass attempts for 86 yards and the previously mentioned interception.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Assuming Cousins is named the starter for Las Vegas’ Week 1 matchup against the\u00a0<\/span>Miami Dolphins<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>on Sept. 13, he will receive first-team reps during midweek practices. Understandably, that could impact how Mendoza does and\/or doesn’t develop until the first pick of the 2026\u00a0<\/span>NFL<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Draft is handed the keys to the team’s offense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “We have experience as coaches on developing guys when they\u2019re not starting a game, if they don\u2019t start a game,” Kubiak explained. “<\/span><\/span>So, it\u2019s [arriving] early, leaving late. It\u2019s using some technological tools at your disposal. But it\u2019s really a lot of [quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan] spending some early mornings and long nights with Fernando and [backup Aiden O\u2019Connell]. And then you can build in young-guy reps into your practices. There\u2019s things you can do. It\u2019s never as good as getting all the reps in practice, but you do the best you can with what you\u2019ve got.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Shortly after Thursday’s game wrapped up, Mendoza admitted<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>that he did not make “a good throw” on the ball that was intercepted and returned for a score. He also acknowledged<\/a> that “there\u2019s a lot more learning to do” regarding his overall growth as a pro quarterback.\u00a0<\/p>\n That said, Kubiak suggested on Friday that a review of the game film showed Mendoza did plenty of good things at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.<\/p>\n “I really liked what he did on third down,” Kubiak added about Mendoza during his comments. “We were only 1-of-5 on third down in the first half. However, we did drop the ball twice, and we threw one short of the sticks on third-and-long. He had really good ball placement on the first third down of the game, with a guy in his face. So, on the critical downs, I thought he was playing his best. There are things that we must get corrected that will be addressed ASAP.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It remains to be seen if Kubiak will name his Week 1 QB1 before the\u00a0Raiders’ preseason finale against the\u00a0<\/span>San Francisco 49ers<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>on Aug. 27. In some instances, coaches like to use the final game of the preseason as a “dress rehearsal” for Week 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nKlint Kubiak wants Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza to feel “uneasiness”<\/span>
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What Klint Kubiak liked about how Fernando Mendoza played against Texans<\/h2>\n
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