Heading into the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, there’s been some discussion about whether Fernando Mendoza or Aidan O’Connell will be the backup quarterback behind starter Kirk Cousins while the other serves as the emergency/third QB. Meanwhile, the Raiders released their unofficial depth chart before Sunday’s season opener, where Mendoza is listed ahead of O’Connell in the QB2 spot.
It’s important to note that this is unofficial, and the coaching staff could mix it up by game day. However, this is a decent sign that the No. 1 pick will be active on Sunday and is the next quarterback up if Cousins were to get injured. The logic for the other way around—where O’Connell is the active backup and Mendoza is the emergency guy—would be to avoid a situation where the rookie’s first appearance is coming off the bench cold.
The depth chart above had a few more notable takeaways. Rookie Treydan Stukes appears to have won the starting free safety job over Isaiah Pola-Mao, and Stukes is the only first-year player listed as a starter. Additionally, Jackson Powers-Johnson is listed over Caleb Rogers at right guard with the first-string offense, while Darien Porter is ahead of Hezekiah Masses at cornerback.
To be fair, none of this should be surprising for anyone who has paid close attention to the Raiders during training camp and the preseason. But there is something to be said for having a hard copy of the depth chart that the team releases confirming the camp reports.
In Other Raiders’ Links:
Tom Brady talks broadcast limitations as owner: “It’s clickbait for people and it’s something that people have no idea what they’re really glomming onto,” Brady said in an interview with Richard Deitsch and Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal. “They just put it out there in the world and see what sticks. So to me, I just focus on what I need to do to be prepared. That’s what I did as a player, and I go out there every week as a broadcaster and try to do the same thing.”
Darius Slayton has three interested teams:NFL insider Josiana Anderson of Exhibit News Network reported that the wide receiver, who some would like to see the Raiders go after, has had three teams reach out to him. Anderson didn’t specify the clubs, but she did mention the Indianapolis Colts as a potential destination given Slayton’s relationship with quarterback Daniel Jones.
How Patrick Johnson made the roster: A film breakdown of the preseason standout’s performance last month.
How Raiders beat Dolphins: “[Devon] Achane is fast and explosive. If he has lanes to run through with blockers in front of him, it could make for a long day on defense,” S&BP’s Phillip Robinson wrote. “In the past, he was utilized primarily as an outside zone, stretch and counter runner. In new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s scheme, we should expect him to do more of the same.”
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get: