One of the most important characteristics of a good quarterback is the ability to play through adversity, and on Thursday night, Fernando Mendoza showed he can.
For the most part, starters rarely play in preseason games, and Thursday night was no exception. The Raiders rested their starters against the Houston Texans, which helped explain the empty seats at Reliant Stadium during Las Vegas’ come-from-behind 22-20 victory.
You hear the usual argument that these games still matter to rookies and players competing for roster spots. That is true to an extent. The kicking competition involving Matt Gay and Kansei Matsuzawa is one example.
Fernando vs. Raiders (photo courtesy Reuters)
But for Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the preseason represents something much bigger. It is his introduction to life in the NFL.
That is why fans are invested this year. They want to see how the No. 1 overall pick handles the inevitable ups and downs that come with playing quarterback at this level.
ESPN understood that interest and sold the game to a national audience, knowing Mendoza would play the entire first half after Kirk Cousins and the rest of the Raiders’ starters sat out following Tuesday’s joint practice.
Mendoza faced a different challenge in his second preseason start. He was going up against a Super Bowl contender with a highly regarded defense—a significant step up from the Arizona Cardinals defense he faced the previous week. That made Thursday night a much better test.
And after watching Mendoza play the entire first half, the Raiders have to be encouraged by what they saw. Forget the statistics. Mendoza completed 8 of 15 passes for 87 yards, threw an interception and failed to throw a touchdown pass. None of that matters much at this stage. A rookie quarterback isn’t supposed to look polished.
What the Raiders really wanted to see was how he would respond to adversity. Could he handle the physicality of a Texans defense while playing behind a backup offensive line that featured only one starter, Caleb Rogers?
This was about as close to a regular-season situation as Mendoza was likely to experience in the preseason. The Texans’ second-string defense was still physical and aggressive. That kind of depth is one reason Houston is considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Mendoza absorbed five quarterback hits and kept competing throughout the first half. More importantly, he didn’t show the visible frustration that often accompanies a rookie quarterback when things start to go wrong.
Consider what happened after the interception.
Mendoza threw behind Mike Washington Jr., allowing Texans rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz to pick off the pass and return it 80 yards for a touchdown that gave Houston a 14-0 lead.
The rookie quarterback could have unraveled. He didn’t. Instead, he responded by leading a field-goal drive on the next series. He then strung together several completions that moved the offense into position for a potential touchdown before Malik Benson dropped a catchable pass.
One of the most important characteristics of a good quarterback is the ability to play through adversity. The Raiders have seen plenty of talented quarterbacks over the years who eventually wilted when the pressure increased. That may have been the most important thing the Raiders saw Thursday night.
The Raiders believe Mendoza can become the quarterback who leads this franchise out of the wilderness. That’s why they selected him No. 1 overall.
The Raiders have a reason for developing a measured plan for their young quarterback. Mendoza can continue learning from the sideline while the offensive line develops around him. There is no reason to throw him into the deep end before he is ready.
Mendoza is beginning to get experience, and he can take lessons with him as he continues developing and prepares for his next opportunity, potentially later in the season.
The Raiders also learned something on Thursday night: his kid can take a punch and keep playing.
