The Raiders’ preseason win over the Texans didn’t give fans a long look at the stars, but it did sharpen a few questions about who’s actually ready to matter once the games count.
After a week of joint practices, the game itself felt pretty subdued. Most of the projected starters on both sides stayed parked on the sideline, which opened the door for backups and rookies to do the talking. For Las Vegas, that meant a chance to evaluate some young pieces who could end up carrying real weight in the regular season.
Fernando Mendoza was the biggest test case, and the rookie quarterback’s night came with both flashes and frustration. He handled the entire first half, showing a couple of strong throws while under pressure, but he also threw an ugly pick-six.
The problem was the environment as much as the performance. Mendoza spent much of the half trying to survive behind the Raiders’ second-team offensive line, which raises a fair question about what he’s gaining from those snaps.
The Raiders clearly want to develop him gradually, and that makes preseason reps important. But there’s an argument for sitting him in the finale instead of putting him back out there behind Jordan “the Human Turnstile” Meredith.
If the team wants one more live look, the better approach would be to give Mendoza a series or two with the starting offensive line before shutting him down for the regular season opener. If the starters rest again, Mendoza should be part of that group.
Let Aidan O’Connell play tackling dummy instead.
The limited action from the players who did see real time also sent a message, especially at wide receiver and cornerback. Darien Porter seems to be the only projected starter still in the mix at corner, and he had a rough night.
One of the biggest plays he allowed was a third-and-eleven completion to Jared Wayne, a depth receiver still trying to make the roster. That opened the door further for rookies Hezekiah Masses and Jermod McCoy, though neither helped himself much.
Masses’ size remains an issue, while McCoy wiped out his one good play with a costly taunting penalty.
At receiver, Tre Tucker sat out while Jack Bech and Jalen Nailor got first-quarter work. Bech wasn’t targeted and was on the field only briefly.
Nailor, meanwhile, made a clean catch on a sharp anticipation throw from Mendoza. The two of them appear to be competing for snaps with rookie Malik Benson, who has been turning heads in camp.
Benson kept showing crisp route-running and drew five targets, but he finished with just one catch after drops hurt him. His smaller frame also showed up at the catch point, where it was harder for him to hold off defenders closing from behind.
Among the rookies, though, Treydan Stukes looks like the one pushing hardest for a bigger role. The Arizona rookie keeps flashing week after week, and he was active again here with several tackles, including one for a loss.
He also held up well in coverage. Stukes has started to look like the kind of versatile piece defensive coordinator Rob Leonard can move around the field.
For now, he’s still listed behind Isaiah Pola-Mao. Pola-Mao got his first full-time starting chance last season and struggled badly, perhaps a byproduct of the Pete Carroll effect. He should get another shot to open this season, but if the struggles continue, Stukes has done enough to make a change feel less like a gamble and more like a decision waiting to happen.
In Other News...
Malik Benson Just Put His Raiders Opening Week Case In Trouble
Fernando Mendozas preseason outing against the Texans had its bright spots and its ugly ones, but for Malik Benson, the tape will mostly be remembered for the missed chances. The Raiders rookie wide receiver, who has flashed enough in training camp to generate some optimism, managed one catch for 18 yards while also putting two passes on the ground in a game where every clean rep mattered.
Benson came into the summer with a real opening to strengthen his case for regular-season snaps, especially as a late-round pick trying to carve out a role. Instead, the kind of mistakes that can linger in the minds of coaches showed up at an inopportune time, leaving his path to Week 1 looking a little less secure than it did before this preseason test. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Fans Will Notice How Fernando Mendoza Responded To One Brutal Mistake
Fernando Mendozas preseason debut for the Raiders had the kind of jolt that can change a game in a hurry, and it came on a play he would probably like to forget. The rookie quarterback threw an interception that Houston Texans rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz turned into an 80-yard touchdown, a swing that immediately put Mendoza under a brighter spotlight as he continued working through the early stages of his NFL career.
What stood out, though, was the way Mendoza reacted after the mistake. Instead of easing up, he chased Woodaz and tried to make the tackle before the score was complete, a small but telling detail about how he handled the moment. Troy Aikman also noted on the broadcast that the play may have been the result of a miscommunication rather than a simple misread, which leaves the Raiders with a familiar preseason question - how much of a costly turnover was a quarterback mistake, and how much was just the kind of timing issue young passers have to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
Aidan OConnell May Have Just Ended A Raiders QB Debate
Aidan OConnell got the second-half chance in the Raiders preseason game against the Texans and made it count in a way that could matter long after August. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 166 yards, posted an 83.0 passer rating and even added a rushing touchdown, then capped the night by guiding Las Vegas on a 98-yard game-winning drive in a 22-20 win.
For a team still sorting out its quarterback pecking order, that kind of finish carries real weight. OConnell has been working to lock down the No. 2 job behind Kirk Cousins, and a poise-filled comeback drive in the preseason is exactly the sort of showing that can tilt a debate in his favor, even if the final call is still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]