The Las Vegas Raiders were defeated 35-21 by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. A rebuilding Raiders team that began the season 3-0 is coming back down to earth following their fourth consecutive defeat. With the losses mounting, should the Raiders consider starting rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in Week 8 versus the New York Jets?
Let's be clear. The Raiders do not possess a Kirk Cousins problem. Cousins threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns while committing zero turnovers versus the Rams. The Raiders aren't losing games because of the veteran starting quarterback.
But the four-game losing streak strongly indicates the Raiders probably aren't the legitimate postseason contenders the 3-0 start had fans believing they were. Still in the early
stages of the rebuild, it could become more important to get Mendoza some meaningful experience.
Head coach Klint Kubiak didn't exactly shoot down the idea of replacing Cousins with Mendoza during his postgame presser. Asked about potentially making a quarterback change, Kubiak admitted his staff would evaluate "everything." Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Cousins.
It's worth noting the Raiders have an incredibly difficult string of defenses coming up on the schedule. The Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos are the next four opponents. The shockingly good Cleveland Browns are the fifth opponent prior to the Week 13 bye.
Asking Mendoza to run that gauntlet while receiving little support from his defense or rushing attack, may be unfair. Perhaps inserting Mendoza into the lineup after the bye week versus a much easier Los Angeles Chargers opponent in Week 14 would be the smarter move. We'll see if Kubiak can resist the temptation to make an immediate move.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Should it be Fernando Mendoza time after Raiders' 4th straight loss?
