Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
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The Las Vegas Raiders are on a four-game losing streak heading into their Week 8 game against the New York Jets, who are coming off a loss to the winless Miami Dolphins. If there’s an opponent for the 3-4 Silver and Black team to bounce back against, it’s this team led by Geno Smith.
Nonetheless, the question surrounding the Raiders is whether it’s time to hand the reins over to the No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza. After a 3-0 start, Las Vegas might now have to focus on getting Mendoza ready to lead the team for the foreseeable future.
For former NFL QB Robert Griffin III, the time is now for head coach Klint Kubiak to make that switch from Kirk Cousins to Mendoza.
“Kirk Cousins has done what he was supposed to do for the Raiders, which was to give Fernando Mendoza time to grow and develop into the quarterback he needs to be,” Griffin said during an Oct. 26 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “Maybe he wasn’t ready at the end of the preseason.
“They should have started him anyway because I think he’s a culture changer for them. At this point, when you’re on that four-game losing streak, when is there a better time to start Fernando Mendoza? I think the time is now.”
Fernando Mendoza Gives Raiders Best Chance to Win
Moreover, Griffin also adds that while Cousins has recorded 16 touchdown passes, it’s Mendoza that might give the Raiders the best chance to win heading into the game against New York and another challenging part of their schedule.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kirk Cousins and what he’s been able to accomplish in his NFL career,” Griffin added. “He’s a former teammate of mine. The one thing we always knew about Kirk when we were teammates in Washington, in particular, was that the guy was going to fight tooth and nail every down, all 60 minutes of a football game. The stats were always going to support that.
“I think for right now, for the Raiders, it’s about whether he gives you the best chance to win games. You’re on a four-game losing streak, so yes. I think he’s leading the league in touchdown passes with 16. He didn’t play particularly well in the first half of this game, but the numbers support keeping him out there and allowing him to play. Ultimately, for Kirk and his career, and for the Raiders right now, it comes down to winning.”
Ashton Jeanty on Las Vegas’ Losing Streak
After the loss on Oct. 25 to the Los Angeles Rams, running back Ashton Jeanty spoke with the media and shared his candid thoughts as the Silver and Black face off against the Jets and look to get to 4-4.
“We just got to watch the film, see how we can get better,” Jeanty told reporters. “In the running back room, O-line room, it’s a team sport, so we all just got to come together and figure out what we need to do to make the run game come to life.”
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Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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