Raiders coach Kubiak weighs more first-team reps for backup quarterback Fernando Mendoza
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said the team will develop a plan to allocate first-team repetitions among quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Aidan O’Connell and Fernando Mendoza after Mendoza’s solid preseason debut.
Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in his preseason debut, playing 31 offensive snaps. Head coach Klint Kubiak said the coaching staff will devise a plan this week to determine how first-team reps are divided among the three quarterbacks on the roster.
"We’re going to put a plan together this week and that’s something that we’re talking about as a coaching staff right now," Kubiak said in a Friday video conference. "But, whether it’s Aidan O’Connell, Kirk, or Fernando — I would say all three of those guys deserve first-team reps." Kubiak added that he was pleased with Mendoza’s performance, noting the quarterback’s composure and consistency with what he has shown in practice. "The best quarterbacks I’ve been around are the ones who are hard on themselves… He played good football last night and is going to continue to get better," the coach said. "He was very calm, he was getting the calls in, he was seeing coverage well. I like the way that he moved in the pocket, got outside, and extended some plays." The Raiders will travel to Houston next week for a joint practice with the Texans before facing them in a Thursday night game.