Fernando Mendoza had a pointed self-evaluation of his NFL preseason debut.
The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft saw extensive work in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 13, finishing with 97 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-16 passing. Despite receiving praise from head coach Klint Kubiak and others, the quarterback said afterward his performance wasn’t up to par.
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“Overall, I felt the group that I was in with, they blocked fantastic,” Mendoza said in a postgame news conference. “They had great routes. The run game was good.
“Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today. But it’s a growing experience … and it showed me I need to grow a lot.”
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New England Patriots quarterback Behren Morton (15) does a passing drill with running back Jam Miller (30) during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
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New England Patriots safety Peter Manuma does a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy works out during training camp practice at SAP Performance Facility on July 27 in Santa Clara, California.
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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey works out during training camp practice at SAP Performance Facility in Santa Clara, California, on July 27.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws the ball during training camp workouts at Loyola Marymount University on July 27.
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Running back Jeremiyah Love – the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft – carries the ball during Arizona Cardinals training camp on July 26.
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Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson participates in a team practice at State Farm Stadium on July 26 in Glendale, Arizona.
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) practices during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 26.
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Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (72) works out during the first day of training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington, on July 25.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) goes through drills during the first day of training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington, on July 25.
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Mendoza entered the game after first-stringer Kirk Cousins led the offense on a 10-play, 68-yard scoring march on the opening series. He stayed in for four series, with only the second producing a score via a 6-yard touchdown connection with wide receiver Jack Bech.
Mendoza highlighted a missed read on the third series, which ended in a punt, and a fourth-down overthrow to the end zone on the fourth series as missed opportunities.
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Settling in for the opener proved challenging, Mendoza said, with emotions running high early.
“The first drive, it felt a little sped up because of so much anticipation and excitement,” said Mendoza, who later noted that his timing and anticipation weren’t consistent throughout the night.
Kubiak was far more charitable than the rookie in his assessment.
“As far as getting in and out of the huddle and commanding the group and getting the play calls down, I saw the same guy that we’ve seen in practice,” Kubiak said in a postgame news conference. “I saw an ascending player. We just gotta keep getting better.”
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Kubiak made clear in the postgame news conference that he didn’t expect the rookie passer to leapfrog the veteran for the starting gig, saying, “it’s (Cousins’) job to lose.”
Yet even if Mendoza’s regular-season debut comes down the line, Cousins saw plenty encouraging signs from Mendoza on Thursday.
“He did a great job,” Cousins said. “Moved the football, scored points, gave us a chance at scoring points and operated well. … It’s just valuable to get out and play, and I thought he did a nice job.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fernando Mendoza unsatisfied with preseason debut: ‘I let my teammates down’
