Key Takeaways
- Fernando Mendoza completed six of eight passes for 48 yards in his Raiders debut but blamed himself for missing an open Deven Thompkins on the fourth-down scramble that ended his lone drive.
- “I let the offense down on that play,” the No. 1 overall pick said after Las Vegas’ 45-17 loss to New England, though coach Klint Kubiak said the rookie “did a good job.”
- Kubiak plans to stick with Kirk Cousins, leaving the reigning Heisman winner focused on learning from his first regular-season snaps and preparing for his next opportunity.
Fernando Mendoza finally made his NFL regular-season debut, but the Las Vegas Raiders' prized rookie wasn't celebrating afterward. Despite completing six of eight passes in a brief appearance against the New England Patriots, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner took responsibility for a failed fourth-down play that ended his first regular-season drive without a touchdown.
"That is totally my fault, and I let the offense down on that play," Mendoza told ESPN following the Raiders' 45-17 loss at Gillette Stadium.
The No. 1 overall pick entered the game with roughly six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, replacing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins as Las Vegas trailed by 28 points. With rain falling and the outcome already decided, head coach Klint Kubiak gave Mendoza his first regular-season opportunity to run the Raiders' offense.
The 23-year-old completed six of eight passes for 48 yards, including a nine-yard completion to tight end Ian Thomas on third-and-five. He followed that with a 16-yard connection to Tre Tucker, moving the Raiders to New England's 35-yard line.
Mendoza eventually guided Las Vegas into the red zone, but he ended his debut with a mistake he immediately acknowledged.
Facing fourth-and-short, Mendoza scrambled toward the sideline instead of throwing to receiver Deven Thompkins, who was open over the middle. The Patriots stopped him before he could reach the first-down marker.
"I need to work on my speed because I wasn't fast enough to get to the edge," Mendoza admitted. "But I need to stand in there and throw [Thompkins] the ball over the middle."
Despite the unsuccessful finish, Kubiak liked what he saw.
"He did a good job," the Raiders coach said.
Mendoza appeared during another difficult afternoon for Las Vegas, which suffered its second straight defeat. The Raiders managed just 38 rushing yards, while New England's defense relentlessly pressured Cousins.
Cousins finished 19-of-28 for 243 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked three times and pressured on 39 percent of his dropbacks. Meanwhile, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye carved up the Raiders' defense for 374 passing yards and five total touchdowns.
For now, Kubiak isn't planning a quarterback change.
That's a significant adjustment for Mendoza, who spent last season rewriting Indiana's record books.
After transferring from Cal, the Miami-raised quarterback led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season, their first national championship, and the Big Ten title. He also became the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy before the Raiders selected him first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mendoza has also consistently credited his family for his success, particularly his mother, Elsa, who lives with multiple sclerosis. During his Heisman acceptance speech, he called her "my why."
Mendoza previously acknowledged being surprised by the NFL's speed during the preseason. Since then, he's spent his time learning behind Cousins and working alongside quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
"It's a good experience," Mendoza said of his debut. "Every rookie has it at some point, so it was just that time."
As for when he'll get another opportunity, that remains uncertain.
"I'm [going to] keep on controlling the controllables," Mendoza said. "But it is good to have some regular-season snaps to go off, evaluate, and get better from. So, if in the future I am called upon, I at least have a little experience rather than none."
