While Kirk Cousins exceeded expectations as the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback, getting the team to a 4-5 record and in the playoff mix at the halfway point of the season, Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks will be the official start of the Fernando Mendoza era in Las Vegas.
John Spytek, Klint Kubiak and the Raiders’ coaching staff determined that the rookie is ready for action, trading Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick and naming Mendoza the starter. That creates
plenty of excitement throughout the organization and fanbase. However, the No. 1 pick’s first start couldn’t have come against a much tougher opponent.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has a reputation as a “defensive mastermind”, running a scheme that has a lot of moving parts and can create confusion for opposing quarterbacks, both from a pressure and coverage standpoint.
For example, Seattle’s defense ranks first in yards per game allowed (244.2), tied for fourth in points per game (18.0), tied for third in EPA per pass (-0.17) and 13th in pressure rate (39.6%), according to Sumer Sports, this season. Also, Macdonald is 6-0 during the regular season against rookie quarterbacks, partly because even veteran signal callers can have a tough time deciphering his defense.
But the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner will have some help. Kubiak should be able to prepare him for what type of looks he’ll face on Sunday since Kubiak worked for Macdonald last year as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. Additionally, having a unique offensive weapon who can bail quarterbacks out in Brock Bowers, as well as quality check-down options in Michael Mayer and Ashton Jeanty, gives Mendoza a few security blankets to get out of trouble.
There’s probably going to be some ups and downs on Sunday — and likely for the rest of the season, for that matter. But if the rookie looks sharp against arguably the best defense in the league this weekend, that should give him a lot of confidence moving forward and bode well for the Raiders’ future.
So, for this week’s game day discussion on The FEED, we’ll be keeping tabs on how Mendoza looks in his first start. The game kicks off at 1:05 p.m. PST and will air on CBS (check your local listings). I look forward to talkin’ some ball with y’all!
