Kubiak puts the call off
Klint Kubiak is refusing to name his starting quarterback. The Las Vegas Raiders head coach wrapped up his first preseason in Nevada without choosing between Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
“I still don’t think we need to name anybody,” Kubiak said after the 18-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. He wants another look at the tape with his staff first. The quarterback spot is not the only one open either, with several roster jobs still up for grabs.
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Cousins tidy, Mendoza rough around the edges
Cousins started. The 38-year-old completed 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards and moved Las Vegas into position for two field goals. Across the preseason, he is 13 for 17 for 101 yards and a touchdown in two appearances. No picks.
Mendoza had a brutal opening. The top pick in the latest draft threw an interception on his second snap. Kubiak defended his rookie and pointed at receiver Jalen Nailor, who could not hang on. The 22-year-old finished 7 of 14 for 57 yards.
The calendar is working against the rookie
“He probably needs three more preseason games,” Kubiak said of the latest Heisman Trophy winner. “All rookies would. But the season is about to start, practice reps get cut down, that’s just the way it goes. It is up to us as coaches to get them ready and keep them moving forward.”
The Raiders host the Miami Dolphins on 13 September. Kubiak has two weeks to weigh Cousins’ experience against the first-round pick’s ceiling. Hand it to Mendoza and you throw a 22-year-old into the fire with 21 preseason attempts behind him. Stick with Cousins and the rebuild waits another year. Thursday night shut neither door.
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