The Las Vegas Raiders are at a crossroads after their fourth straight loss, and that means every part of the operation is under the microscope - including the quarterback plan.
Las Vegas opened the season as one of the league’s early surprises, jumping out to a 3-0 start. But since beating the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 27, the Raiders have hit a skid, capped by Sunday’s 35-21 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
That run has already put the team’s original quarterback blueprint in doubt. The Raiders had planned to ride Kirk Cousins for the full season while No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza developed behind him, with the idea of Mendoza eventually taking over in 2027. Now, after four straight defeats, that timeline may not hold.
First-year head coach Klint Kubiak was asked after the game whether he would consider accelerating Mendoza’s path if the Raiders decide to focus on the future. His response made it clear that nothing is off the table.
"I think we have to go watch the film," Kubiak said. "I think at this point... we're thinking about everything, how to fix our problems, how to fix our issues in the in the red zone in the third quarter, and personnel scheme. We got to talk about all of it."
Cousins was solid statistically in the loss, completing 26 of 44 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. He entered the game with 1,582 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions on the season.
Mendoza has only seen limited action so far. He played briefly in the Raiders’ 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5, finishing 6 of 8 for 48 yards.
The call is not a simple one for Kubiak or the organization. Las Vegas is still hanging around the playoff picture, and the numbers behind their record make the situation even trickier.
Their first three wins came against the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Saints, teams that have combined for just three wins this season. The Raiders also lost to the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills by a combined six points.
So while the Raiders have been competitive with Cousins, the real question now is what that looks like if they decide to hand the offense to a rookie quarterback.
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Klint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins both pointed to the need for better balance and cleaner execution, which has become the kind of refrain a team can only lean on for so long. When the mistakes show up on both sides of the ball and the game is already getting away early, the Raiders are no longer dealing with a short-term slump - theyre staring at a problem that needs a real fix, and soon. [Read more 🡒]