In a surprise twist, the Las Vegas Raiders traded quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings
shortly before the NFL trade deadline pass on Tuesday afternoon, despite still being alive in the AFC playoff picture with a chance at earning the third and final Wild Card spot. Coincidentally, the primary focus surrounding the Raiders in the Week 10 NFL Power Rankings was when it’s time to turn the reins over to Fernando Mendoza.We have our answer now, but let’s dive into what a few in the media
were thinking before the deal took place.
NFL.com
21. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 20
Sunday’s result wasn’t a low point, but it was a sign we’re nearing the transition of quarterback power from Kirk Cousins to Fernando Mendoza. Frankly, the Raiders are still operating on the positive side of matters, playing generally competitive football that is, at minimum, entertaining in most weeks. The defense is disintegrating, though, which doesn’t bode well for their outlook. — Nick Shook
Well, the transition is official, and Mendoza’s first start comes this weekend against a very good Seattle Seahawks defense. That’s a tough assignment for a quarterback’s first NFL start, but the matchup could tilt in Las Vegas’ favor since Seattle is struggling to run the ball and will be playing backup quarterback Drew Lock on Sunday.
ESPN
21. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 20
Most important game of the second half: Week 12 at the Browns
This will be the Raiders’ last game before their bye week. It could also determine how they handle their quarterback situation for the rest of the year. If the Raiders get at least five or six wins before their weeklong break, and Kirk Cousins keeps playing solid football, they could stick with the veteran signal-caller to capitalize on their playoff window. However, if the Raiders lose to the Browns, they could start Fernando Mendoza for the final five games to evaluate the No. 1 pick. — Ryan McFadden
This becomes a moot point after the trade. In fairness to McFadden, the Week 12 game right before the bye easily could have been the swing moment for Klint Kubiak and the rest of the coaching staff when it comes to Mendoza’s first start. The Raiders’ schedule softens up after the down week, and they easily could have been out of contention by then.
Bleacher Report
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 17
The Las Vegas Raiders are pretty much what everyone expected them to be during the offseason. They have a few nice pieces and a competent bridge quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but they’re not yet ready to hang with the league’s true contenders.
Things felt different during Las Vegas’ 3-0 start to the season and even after a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Raiders are still clearly a year away from having realistic aspirations of a deep playoff run. The question right now is if Las Vegas has enough pieces in place to properly support rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza when or if they decide to turn the offense over to him. — Kristopher Knox
This Sunday and the rest of the season, we’ll find out for sure if the offense has enough pieces to support the rookie quarterback. Having one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in football, Brock Bowers, certainly helps. Also, Mendoza might be able to unlock Tre Tucker, who had a few good games with Cousins slinging the rock.
The offensive line is the biggest question mark, as the run game has been an issue all season and the unit ranks 30th in pass-block win rate, according to Sumer Sports. However, ESPN’s pass-block win rate only counts when linemen lose within 2.5 seconds after the snap (Sumer’s doesn’t factor in how long it takes a lineman to lose), and the Raiders are second in ESPN’s ranking. In other words, a quarterback who gets the ball out quickly wouldn’t be under pressure much behind Vegas’ line.
Sports Illustrated
20. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 17
A video with MMQB Podcast teammate Albert Breer from Monday’s show where we argue the merits of Minnesota giving up a first-round pick to Las Vegas for Kirk Cousins. Really? Yes, really. — Conor Orr
It wasn’t a first-round pick; it was a third-rounder. So, it feels like general manager John Spytek might have left some meat on the bone, but getting a Top 100 selection for a player whose days in Vegas were numbered is a decent return. Plus, Minnesota takes on Cousins’ $10 million cap hit for next season, clearing the books a bit for the Raiders.
The Athletic
20. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 19
Midseason grade: C
On the one hand, the Raiders, a team with low expectations, got off to a shocking 3-0 start to the season. On the other, they’ve now lost five of their last six games, with their lone win coming against the Jets. They’ve been competitive with Kirk Cousins at the helm, but it feels like reality is starting to creep in. — Chad Graff, Josh Kendall
This is interesting because the introduction mentions that the expectations each team had entering the season determined the grade. As Graff/Kendall mention, the Raiders entered with low expectations. But owning a 4-5 record when the line for their win total for the entire campaign was 5.5 is just meeting preseason expectations. Huh?
That doesn’t make much sense, and I’d be interested to see what their preseason game-by-game prediction was for the Silver and Black. For most people, the Miami Dolphins were widely considered the only “gimme” game in the first half of the schedule. Many had Vegas losing to the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints. You can probably throw the New York Jets in there too, with how many offseason additions the Jets made.
