Colin Cowherd has never been shy about sharing his thoughts on the Raiders, and this week he turned his attention to quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza. While Cowherd has praised Mendoza's potential, he believes the young quarterback might not be a great fit for Las Vegas.
Cowherd has been a vocal supporter of Mendoza for some time, but on Monday, he highlighted a specific statistic to support his argument. He referenced the "pressure to sack rate," a metric that evaluates how often a quarterback is sacked under pressure. According to this stat, Mendoza's rate is comparable to that of Justin Fields, who has been criticized for holding the ball too long and accumulating negative plays.
Cowherd pointed out that Caleb Williams faced similar challenges early in his career due to coaching issues, suggesting that Mendoza's potential struggles could be more about the Raiders' environment than his own abilities. He expressed concern over the Raiders' offensive line and coaching stability, noting that even if Klint Kubiak is a competent coach, he might still rank lower in a competitive division. Additionally, Cowherd criticized the team's ownership for being impulsive and impatient.
While Cowherd stands by his belief that Mendoza is a top prospect, he appears to be hedging his bets, acknowledging that the Raiders' organizational issues could impact Mendoza's performance. He has previously stated that Mendoza is worthy of the number one pick, but if things don't go well in Las Vegas, he can point to the team's shortcomings.
Cowherd didn't hold back on his views about the Raiders' coaching decisions either. He agreed with the dismissal of Josh McDaniels, criticizing the team for not hiring "smart people" and suggesting that they look for coaches like Pete Carroll. He also defended Antonio Pierce after his firing, implying that Pierce didn't get a fair chance.
The Raiders' decision-making has been a point of contention, particularly with the firing of interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Many, including Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, believe the team should have given Bisaccia a longer tenure. Carpenter mentioned that even Mark Davis, the team's owner, might regret not retaining Bisaccia, despite wanting to move on from Mike Mayock.
Cowherd's commentary underscores the ongoing challenges the Raiders face in finding stability and success, especially when it comes to nurturing promising talent like Fernando Mendoza.