Football was back on Thursday night, and the Raiders’ preseason opener gave fans a little bit of everything: a glimpse of the future, a clean showing from the present, and a reminder that there’s still plenty of work to do on the back end.
The biggest draw was Fernando Mendoza, and his first NFL action looked exactly like what you’d expect from a quarterback taking that first step. The Raiders’ first overall pick came out with some rookie jitters, including the happy feet and the urge to bail from the pocket too early. But he settled down on his second drive and finished it with a touchdown pass to Jack Bech.
All told, Mendoza went 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a touchdown, which is a perfectly solid opening statement. He’s not there yet, but the Raiders don’t need him to be right now.
That’s because Kirk Cousins looked sharp in the lone drive the starters had. The veteran was on time and on target throughout the march down the field, finishing it off with a Michael Mayer touchdown catch. In that snapshot, Cousins looked every bit like the starter and Mendoza looked like the quarterback the Raiders can keep bringing along at the right pace.
Right now, Mendoza is clearly behind Cousins on the depth chart. That shouldn’t trigger any panic. It just means Las Vegas appears to be handling its future franchise quarterback the way it should.
There was another rookie who made a strong case for more attention, and that was Mike Washington Jr.
The fourth-round running back got plenty of work, and he made the most of it. Washington showed vision, burst and the kind of contact balance that makes defenders miss and keeps runs alive. He finished with 63 rushing yards on six carries, and one of those runs went for 53 yards.
That matters in this offense. Klint Kubiak’s system is going to lean heavily on play-action, and that means the Raiders have to run the ball well.
Ashton Jeanty will carry a big load, but he can’t do it alone. Washington looks like the kind of back who can spell him for five to 10 carries a game and keep the offense rolling without a dip.
That’s a useful player, and it looks like a good pick.
The defense, though, offered a much harsher reality check.
Las Vegas has spent the offseason trying to fix a secondary that struggled badly a year ago, but the preseason opener didn’t show much progress. Arizona completed 26 of 30 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns, and the Raiders’ starters were part of the problem. Darien Porter still doesn’t look like he’s taken a meaningful step forward, while Eric Stokes and Jeremy Chinn are continuing to give the group replacement-level production.
The rookie additions didn’t change the picture much either. Jermod McCoy looked like a player getting back into the flow after a year away, and it showed in the form of two touchdown catches allowed.
Hezekiah Masses brought the edge and effort that helped build his training camp buzz, but he looked small against Arizona’s bigger receivers. Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson were fine, but nothing more than that.
For all the offensive flashes, the game also served as a blunt reminder: this Raiders team still looks like it needs another year before it’s truly ready to compete at a serious level.
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Training camp and the preseason have offered the kind of early signs Raiders fans have been waiting for, with the ground game showing more life than it has in years. Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington have both flashed in the backfield, and while August can only tell you so much, the runs have at least hinted that Las Vegas may finally have something worth building on when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]