Fernando Mendoza made unique decision in first Raiders game of season
Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza remained on the sidelines during his team's Week 1 victory against the Miami Dolphins. Selected with the top overall pick, Mendoza is still working to master the scheme under coach Klint Kubiak, while also recently making an appearance in a State Farm commercial prior to his regular-season debut.
Veteran Kirk Cousins served as the starting signal-caller in the opener, which also featured heavy utilization of running back Ashton Jeanty. With the Raiders aiming to generate more explosive opportunities across a complete four-quarter performance, Mendoza could potentially factor into the lineup sooner rather than later as Las Vegas prepares for an upcoming Week 2 road contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.
