Tuesday, in the wake of the trade that sent Kirk Cousins from the Raiders to the Vikings in a trade, Fernando Mendoza was announced as the starter. Wednesday he took to the podium for his first game week press conference. Here are some key takeaways from that press conference.
How he heard the news Kirk Cousins was traded
“Truthfully, I had no inkling. Just was in the locker room yesterday, and people were, like 'Kirk got traded.' And everyone said that's the nature of the business, and that's how it is. And I'm excited to see Kirk and his future."
“It came out on the news before I got to even talk to [my family], so they called me, it was, like 'this is what you've been doing your whole life, and what you've been preparing for,' and it came at a little bit of an unexpected time, but still
a fantastic opportunity, and can't thank them enough for their support. "
Kirk Cousins left an indelible mark and prepared to be NFL starter
“Kirk has taught me a multitude of lessons, but two of the ones that stick out right now. Number one, always being prepared, and doing everything possible you can to prepare yourself to best serve your teammates, to best serve the organization. So you go out there Sunday, regardless of the result, with no doubt in your mind that you did everything possible to give your team and teammates the best chance to perform and win. And then, second off, is to be yourself. He's always told everybody on the team, and he was a great leader and captain on the team, and really brought us together and had a lot of togetherness. So that's something that I look to exemplify and take from his lessons."
“It would have been really easy for Kirk to, being a veteran, veteran quarterback, and kind of already have already proved everything to be a little bit more dismissive, but he had me with open arms, and has taught me so many things, whether it's film study, how to operate as a starting quarterback, all the different multifaceted approaches that has made him so successful out throughout his career. He has shared with no restrictions or no constraints. So I really appreciate him, and it was, uh... It was heartfelt to see him as a, he was a great mentor.”
“We hope to connect in the offseason, and he said I can reach out for anything, so I'm sure I'll talk to him probably after this game, or after the season, or something, but, just how great of a teammate he was, and everyone seen a Netflix show, and you hear things from that media, but to actually be in with him and spend long hours in the quarterback room with him, was extremely special. I'm gonna miss him, and I really appreciate and am deeply thankful for everything that the Cousins family has offered to me.”
He weekly preparation has him ready to step up
“I believe in the principles and the quarterback room that Coach Janocko, Coach Kubiac, and Coach Sullivan, always preface is, You're always one play away, always be prepared, and Kirk was a great example and leader of that, and how to be prepared, and how to make no moment too big. And so those are all lessons that, I believe, Aidan and I will take into this next chapter.
“One of our mottos in the quarterback room is to always to always stay ready and always stay prepared, and that's something that we all three of the quarterbacks, when we were all here, we always, all three of us, prepared, like the starter. We were all in there, doing our routine, doing it together, watching film together, going over our game plan together, tweaking, and seeing which adjustments we'd like to make, and so, I believe, Aidan and I will continue that rhythm, in order to prepare and do our job and execute the offense, because, at the end of the day, the quarterback is only 1/11th, and I need to do my job to best showcase all the other talents we have on the offense and on the team.”
“We've watched a good amount of film so far, in my routine, especially a routine that I've modeled. Let's coach Janocko, Coach Sullivan, Coach Kubiak, ones that they've recommended, and also taking from Kirk and Aidan's past processes. And so we've been doing the same process every week, so continue on keeping the same thing, and keeping the main thing, the main thing, which is the process. And they're a very impressive team, they're one of the best defenses in the league, so it's gonna be a great challenge, and I'm excited to do my 1/11th out there.”
He's developed a lot since he arrived, but has a ways to go
“In the quarterback room, sometimes Coach Sully, he’ll reference back to Spring Fernando. I don't want to talk about myself as a third person, but it just shows how much improvement there's been, and I'm a lot more confident as a quarterback, and I feel like more developed, whether it's under center, connecting with teammates, understanding an NFL scheme, there's so many areas that I've improved on, and I look forward to keep on approving, 'cause there's still a lot of work to do.”
Mendoza will be leaning on his teammates and coaches
“I believe starting an NFL game, it is a new step, but a whirlwind... No, I would agree with Coach Kubiak. Coach Kubiak, Coach Danoko, and Coach Sullivan, and I were in the quarterback room, including Kirk, I've done a fantastic job, in aiding my development, and I can't thank them enough, and now it's my turn to do my 1/11th, and we have such a great offensive staff, and we've such a great offense, whether it's leaders on the offensive line, leaders in the receiver room, leaders in the tight end room, or leaders in the running back room that, I believe, that they're gonna help me along the way, to best execute my 1/11th, so we could all move forward, and be efficient and effective as our offense.”
“This is a new experience. It's great. It's against a fantastic opponent. However, I have so much trust in the coaching staff, in the front office, and my teammates, and the leaders of the team, to go out there and best support everybody's 1/11th so we could do our job with the best ability.”
“I think that there's so many great minds in this building in this facility. I think, the element that... The quarterback room has, early on emphasized is always listening, taking in some information, whether it's from Coach Kubiak, Coach Janocko, Coach Sullivan, or any of the other quarterbacks. or offensive linemen, or tight ends, or running backs, or receivers. And so I think being receptive and listening has helped me progress. However, like I said, there's still a long way to go.”
His experience on the sideline for nine games was invaluable
“Yeah, those mental reps on the sideline during the games, they were crucial with Coach Sullivan and Aidan. They were great. However, there's nothing like game experience in game reps, because the best vision is when you're in the pocket, rather than adjacent on the sideline, just the process information. So it's obviously a lot of post film study, and to confirm what we saw on the sideline on film, because sometimes the angles can be a little bit different. But I think it was great, and I think more so than that, that was great, but it was also talking with Coach Sullivan, Kirk, and Aidan, and Coach Janocko on the sideline after the drive, and kind of getting their recoup of the drive. What Kirk saw out there, what our plan to attack is going forward, so those are things that I'll learn from.”
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Fernando Mendoza speaks for 1st time as Raiders starter: Key quotes, takeaways
