Fernando Mendoza got his first taste of regular-season NFL action.
In a sense.
The rookie backed up starting quarterback Kirk Cousins as the Las Vegas Raiders opened their season with a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
Mendoza did not see the field Sunday. He became the first quarterback selected with the No. 1 overall draft pick to not start in Week 1 since 2018 and likely won’t start for a lengthy duration barring any surprises. But there was plenty to watch and learn from the sideline.
Cousins threw three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing more than 70 percent of his passes, while the Raiders defense held the Dolphins to a single touchdown and forced two turnovers.
Following every big play, whether it was a score or a defensive stop, Mendoza was among the first to greet his teammates as they came off the field and over the course of the game he spent every possession trying to soak in the information around him.
When Las Vegas was on offense, he spent his time attached to the hip of Raiders quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
Sullivan, who was hired by the franchise in March after Klint Kubiak took over the coaching duties, has 20 years of coaching experience, most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he served as both a senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.
He has worked with the likes of Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
When Mendoza was not talking with Sullivan, he was on the bench sitting beside Cousins while the Raiders defense was on the field, holding conversations while reviewing film on the team’s tablets, regardless of whether Las Vegas came away with points on the previous drive or not.
Cousins compared the beginning of Mendoza’s career to his own when he backed up Washington’s No. 2 overall draft pick Robert Griffin III for most of the 2012 season, emphasizing the importance of developing through the little things.
“I think each day and each week he will be able to tuck some nuggets away to help him as he goes forward in his career,” Cousins said. “I was doing the same thing when I was a rookie, learning on the fly and trying to take note of everything good and bad.
“I think that can all be used to develop yourself as a player … I think that’s what it is all about when you’re a young player.”
