Raiders fans have seen the future, at least for one drive. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut during the Las Vegas Raiders' 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots, taking over for veteran Kirk Cousins with the game out of reach.
Mendoza completed 6 of 8 passes for 47 yards without an interception on his first drive of meaningful NFL action. The drive ended with a turnover on downs after Mendoza scrambled and fell short of the marker on fourth down. Cousins won the Week 1 starting job out of training camp as Las Vegas opted to bring the former Indiana star along slowly rather than throw him into the fire right away.
That plan separated Mendoza from recent top overall quarterback picks, most of whom started from Day 1. The Raiders started 3-0 with Cousins under center, before consecutive losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots. Mendoza arrived in Las Vegas with the hopes of a storied franchise on his shoulders.
He won the Heisman Trophy last season and led Indiana to its first-ever national championship with a win over Miami in the College Football Playoff. Next, the Raiders host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Oct. 18.
