After watching his team drop their fourth straight game in a brutal 35-21 beatdown against the Los Angeles Rams at home, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak talked about considering “everything” to turn things around. But just a day later, he slammed the door shut on any immediate quarterback change, committing to Kirk Cousins as the starter indefinitely. The first-year coach is rolling with the veteran, making it clear there is “no controversy” at QB despite the team’s 3-4 record.
“No Controversy,” Just Cousins
Kubiak’s stance is rock solid: Kirk Cousins is his guy, at least for now. “Kirk is our starting quarterback,” Kubiak declared. “There is no controversy there. He is playing at a very high level. He’s gotta continue to do that for us to win, and we’ve gotta keep helping all the areas around him. Excited for him to go play here against the Jets.” You have to hand it to Cousins, too. While the team is spiraling below .500, he is absolutely one of their top individual performers. He’s stacked up 1,877 passing yards on the year, which is good for third among all quarterbacks, and he is a top-12 signal-caller by passer rating. This has been a renaissance year for the veteran, and he clearly fits in Kubiak’s system. The immediate goal is still to win right now, and the coach thinks Cousins gives them the best shot, especially heading into their Week 8 road game against the New York Jets.
The No. 1 Pick on the Sidelines
So, what does that mean for Fernando Mendoza? The Raiders drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in April, hoping he would be their long-term answer, but he continues to watch from the sidelines. Kubiak is firm that Mendoza “is going to play football” at some point this season. “We have a plan,” Kubiak said. “We don’t have a timeline for that. Kirk’s playing really well. We’re in the hunt. It’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and continue to develop Fernando. But Fernando’s going to play at some point. It’s not going to be this week.” The most logical spot for a change could be the Week 13 bye, which is still over a month away. That would give Mendoza some real runway at the end of the season to get some important rookie starts under his belt. The tough truth is, if the Raiders keep on this 3-4 trajectory, they’ll likely be out of contention for the postseason by the time that bye week rolls around.
What’s Next for the Silver and Black
The Raiders are clearly committed to battling for every win right now. They’ve got to hit the road for that Week 8 game against the New York Jets. It is all about trying to keep their heads above water and compete for position in the AFC West and conference Wild Card race before it is too late.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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