HOUSTON — The Las Vegas Raiders have challenged Fernando Mendoza throughout his first NFL training camp. They gave the No. 1 pick his biggest test to date on Tuesday, at the hands of a fierce opponent.
Mendoza got extensive reps with the Raiders’ first team against the Houston Texans’ starting defense during the teams’ joint practice. It was the first time the rookie quarterback has worked with the starters in a session that Kirk Cousins also participated in. Head coach Klint Kubiak said it was the team’s “plan all along” to work Mendoza with the ones during the session, and was pleased with the experience he got.
“I thought he did some good things,” Kubiak said. “I look forward to watching the tape. But just he and his teammates, all these young guys that we’re playing, we’ve got to get them up to speed real quick.”
Cousins still took the first reps with the starters during each team period. But instead of swapping in the second unit after the veteran’s drives like they’ve done throughout camp, Kubiak kept the first team on the field with Mendoza during multiple periods. Mendoza also worked with the twos, while Aidan O’Connell followed with the threes.
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Things certainly sped up for Mendoza against the Texans defense — the NFL’s No. 1 unit last season in terms of yardage allowed. Houston’s exceptional pass rush bore down on the rookie, hurrying his timing and progression. Mendoza handled the heat as well as he could, checking plays at the line when he saw potential pressure, and hitting his hot routes when defenders got through quickly.
Mendoza also flashed what he’s capable of versus an elite group. On his final play of the second team period, he dropped back and rolled to his left away from pressure. Keeping his eyes downfield, he saw star tight end Brock Bowers streaking open deep down the sideline. Despite sharing barely any reps with Bowers during training camp, the quarterback slotted his throw perfectly as the two connected for the offense’s biggest chunk play of the day.
“Brock Bowers, there’s no explanation needed,” Mendoza said. “It’s Brock Bowers, so it made it easier there … It was for sure reassuring that you could go out there and and say, O.K., it’s one of the top defenses in the league. At the same time, football is football and if you make your read and you stay disciplined to the process and take what the defense gives you, then you can reap the rewards.’”
Mendoza also made mistakes, to be expected in his first opportunity against a top-tier opponent. During a red-zone team period, he threw a near interception to cornerback Kamari Lassiter in the end zone. A couple of plays later, nickel Jalen Pitre pounced on a pass to running back Ashton Jeanty coming across the field, intercepting it and taking it back for a would-be pick-six. Mendoza said he thought Pitre was further back than he was and called the turnover “a great learning experience.”
“That’s the beautiful nature of film: you’re gonna be able to go in there, watch and learn,” Mendoza said. “Although I take every practice like a game, there’s no negative repercussions from today except learning experience. You never want to let your teammates down in a red-zone period. But at the same time, it’s the best time for it to happen, especially against another team.”
Mendoza’s reaction to the turnover encapsulates the attitude he took into the day. He said he approached the practice with an “opportunistic mindset,” wanting to take advantage of every aspect of working with the ones.
“I think it’s great to get the speed of the game because every group is fast, but the ones might be elevated a little bit more.” Mendoza said. “To get that speed of the game, be in there, be able to not only execute the play, but also command the huddle, see and read the defense pre-snap, post-snap. There’s so many different elements that I think are elevated and accelerated with that group.”
Kubiak, Cousins and other Raiders have spoken positively about Mendoza’s mindset during training camp. The Texans also took notice on Tuesday, with multiple Houston defenders saying the spirit he plays with stands out.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for him,” Texans edge Will Anderson Jr. said. “I loved his energy. I loved how he was cheering on his O-line, cheering his team on. He’s gonna be a really great quarterback in this league.”
Cousins, offensive line challenged
The 14 seasons of NFL experience Cousins has on Mendoza didn’t make Tuesday’s joint practice any easier for him. The veteran was similarly sped up against Houston’s pressure and looked less comfortable than he has throughout camp.
Like Mendoza, Cousins had success hitting his checkdowns as the rush converged. But he also tried to make plays downfield as the pocket collapsed, leading to some sacks, batted passes and off-target throws.
“You feel their rush,” Cousins said. “They do a good job pursuing and playing fast and felt a lot like these joint practices can get. We throw a jab, they throw a jab in terms of just making a play here, they make a play there, and that’s kind of pro football right now. It’s very back and forth.”
Cousins’ best punch came during the red-zone period, as he found Bowers in the middle of the end zone for the team’s lone passing touchdown of the day. But as practice wore on, Houston’s blows began to accumulate. Anderson and fellow pass rusher Danielle Hunter were consistently in the backfield during the final team period, with Hunter notching a sack and Anderson deflecting a pass at Cousins’ release point to the quarterback’s dismay. The practice also concluded with Cousins tossing a pick-six to Lassiter.
“Probably would have liked to have finished a little stronger,” Cousins said. “But we made some plays in the first few periods that we were pleased with, and we’ll keep building from here.”
The Raiders’ offensive line struggled to handle Anderson, Hunter and the other Houston pass rushers. Cousins said he certainly felt their effects, but he was prepared for pressure going into the day. He added that it’s on him and the quarterbacks to help their protection when issued such a challenge.
“It’s a tall task. Nobody really can just drop back and take seven-step drops play after play after play against any rush in the NFL, let alone these guys,” Cousins said. “We asked a lot of them today, and it’ll be really good film to go watch.”
The Raiders also had minimal success in the run game. Kubiak said he didn’t feel like they had a great day with their rushing attack, but is excited to apply the experience to Thursday’s preseason game.
“We all know that we’re not anywhere near where we want to be,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got to keep getting better.”
Run-defense doubts persist
The 156 rushing yards the Raiders allowed to the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game can be taken with a grain of salt. The team employed its base defensive looks and often operated out of their nickel package, not wanting to give much away. But in the privacy of a joint-practice setting, the troubles Las Vegas had stopping an opponents on the ground still lingered.
The Raiders gave way to a Texans rushing attack that was among the league’s worst a season ago. Houston’s offensive line got a push up the middle and created holes for backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks to run through. Both had enough big runs on the day for Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans to deem them “the highlights” of the joint practice.
Despite the struggles, linebacker Nakobe Dean said he feels the Raiders are “in a good spot” with their run defense.
“We’re getting better every day,” Dean said. “We are transitioning to where we want to be with certain calls and certain personnel groupings that’s out there to stop the run. So, we’re getting there.”
Dean and the linebackers felt solid about their day after Quay Walker had the defensive highlight of practice. Trailing a running back wheel route downfield, Walker picked off quarterback C.J. Stroud during the final team period, taunting the Texans a bit afterwards. Plays of the sort are why Dean believes the LB group is the “heartbeat” of Rob Leonard’s defense.
The Raiders’ pass defense looked solid overall, with pressure finding its way through against Stroud. Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby had multiple sacks and also got into a bit of a scuffle with Texans rookie offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge.
Jackson Powers-Johnson down
Kubiak said that he doesn’t expect right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson to play in Thursday’s preseason game after getting “banged up” during Monday’s practice back in Henderson, Nev.
Powers-Johnson left the session with a trainer and didn’t return. He was in Houston on Tuesday, but observed the joint practice in street clothes.
With Powers-Johnson down, the Raiders will get a substantial look at second-year guard Caleb Rogers against a top defense. Rogers began rotating with Powers-Johnson with the first team midway through training camp, and the starting job is still up for grabs, according to Kubiak.
“He’s a great presence,” Cousins said of Rogers. “He’s got a lot of dog to him. He’s a fighter, competitive, and wants to be a really good player.”
