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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Las Vegas Raiders' No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, made his anticipated preseason debut, but unfortunately, it came in a losing effort, 27-14 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mendoza completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown during his time on the field. Following the game, he spoke with reporters and gave his honest assessment of his first preseason performance in the NFL.
"It was great. You know, the first series, I felt a little sped up, so it was good to come back on the field and learn from my mistakes, and then the second series, we were able to score. Third series, you know, I missed a read there, and the fourth series, I thought we had a good thing going, and unfortunately I missed a throw at the end," Mendoza said at his postgame press conference.
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He praised the group that he played with during his first outing, but ultimately accepted blame for not doing more to help the team win.
"And then overall, I felt like the group that I was in with, they blocked fantastic, they had great routes, run game was good, and, you know, unfortunately, I let my teammates down today, but it's a growing experience," he said. "I feel like we're all growing, and it showed me that I need to grow a lot."
The first overall pick came in as a backup to veteran starter Kirk Cousins, who played the game's opening series and led the team on a 68-yard touchdown drive. That set the tone early, with Mendoza coming in and getting a feel for the game in the NFL preseason.
He didn't throw any interceptions, but he had his share of mistakes and misreads. The commentary team pointed out that he made a quick throw to Mike Washington Jr. with a Cardinals corner waiting in the wings to deliver an immediate tackle, resulting in an incomplete pass. That's something Mendoza will learn to read better as he continues.
His first completed pass came to Jack Bech on a third down in the first quarter. Bech later caught Mendoza's first TD pass after the rookie led a 10-play, 79-yard drive in the second quarter. Mendoza finished the drive off with a six-yard TD pass to help tie the game.
In his debut, the No. 1 pick was also sacked for an eight-yard loss. He finished with a 100.3 rating for his time on the field, and as mentioned, will continue to improve as he sees more time in games, watches film, and reviews his mistakes.
However, there was a lot to like from his highlights, including that incredible touchdown drive, something the Raiders will likely see a lot more of in the future. The rookie also accepted blame and seems intent on improving after a preseason loss, certainly the type of leader a team wants at quarterback.
Next up for the Raiders will be a visit to play the Houston Texans on Thursday, Aug. 20, followed by a final preseason home game on Thursday, Aug. 27 against the San Francisco 49ers.
More news: Josh Allen Playing Status Revealed for Bills’ Preseason Opener
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