The Las Vegas Raiders have traveled to Houston to participate in joint practices with the Texans. With preseason becoming less important, these joint practices are actually the most intense part of training camp.
The Texans have arguably the top defense in the NFL, so this is a great test for the Raiders and their quarterbacks. Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza played well in his first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, but that was mostly against backups on one of the weakest defenses in the league.
The Texans do everything well on defense, especially rushing the passer. The Raiders decided to give Mendoza some work with the first team, which meant having to face the Texans’ starting defense.
Based on practice reports, Mendoza played mostly well, but he did receive consistent pressure and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud knows what it’s like to be a highly drafted quarterback, and he was impressed with what he saw from Mendoza.
“I think he’s a good player. I think he will have a lot of success in the league,” Stroud told reporters after the first joint practice.
Will Anderson Also Praises Mendoza
Texans defensive end Will Anderson was a terror at joint practice. He’s one of the top edge rushers in the NFL, and proved it once again against the Raiders.
He also thinks highly of Mendoza and thinks he’s going to be a real player.
“Ton of respect for him. Going to be a really great quarterback in this league,” Anderson said.
Mendoza still has a lot to prove, but it’s clear that he has respect around the NFL already.
Kirk Cousins Hoping to Be Resource for Mendoza
Mendoza may have to wait before getting his first real chance to play regular season football. The Raiders signed Kirk Cousins in free agency to give them some flexibility with how they deploy the rookie.
Cousins is aware that he could lose the starting job at any moment, but he just wants to do what he can to help Mendoza and the team.
“I understand what I signed up for, and we’re all in this together,” Cousins told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. “We’re just trying to help the Raiders win football games, and I don’t want to be entitled or be given something I didn’t earn. I think it’s important that the best player plays, or the one who can help the team win the most. That’s really what the perspective needs to be. If it’s not me, it’s not me. We’ll all be working together and trying to help this team win and let the chips fall where they may.
“I’d love to be a help. I’d love for Fernando to go on to an outstanding career and look back and say, ‘I think Kirk’s time together with us in the quarterback room was helpful to my development as a player.’ That’s all part of this and wanting to be an asset to this organization and this quarterback room, and that includes helping Fernando go on to have a tremendous career.”
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