Alright, Emerald City, listen up! Remember Klint Kubiak, our offensive coordinator from last season? Yeah, well, he’s now the head coach in Las Vegas, and he just dropped a bombshell that has Raiders fans scratching their heads. The Vegas squad is rolling with the 38-year-old Kirk Cousins as their Week 1 starter, pushing their No. 1 overall draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, to the backup spot.
Kubiak’s Old-School Playbook
If you followed Kubiak’s tenure here in the Emerald City, you know he’s a guy with a clear vision. He’s always said his preferred way to develop a rookie QB is to have ’em sit and learn behind an established veteran, let them soak it all in. So, while it feels a little wild to see the top pick in the entire draft getting the clipboard to start his pro career, it honestly wasn’t a total shocker if you know Kubiak’s playbook. Cousins, who signed with the Raiders this offseason as a free agent, looked like the guy from day one. This decision, coming at the very end of the preseason, shows Kubiak really let the process play out, even if the writing was on the wall.
Rookie Flashes vs. Veteran Consistency
Now, don’t get it twisted, Mendoza isn’t a bust by any stretch. The kid showed flashes of that brilliance we saw when he led Indiana to a national championship last season. But the NFL is a different beast, and he also showcased some rookie lumps. Over the preseason, he went 25-of-45 completions for 240 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Cousins, the grizzled vet, was a much cleaner 13-of-17 passing for 101 yards and a touchdown. Kubiak even praised Cousins after the preseason finale, saying, “I just think he’s taking practice to the field. Like you said, he’s led scoring drives. We would have loved to lead three touchdown scoring drives. So, we’re not satisfied with field goals and that’s an area that we need to improve at. But I see a guy that’s leading the offense.” Sounds like he wants more touchdowns than field goals, and he’s got confidence in Kirk to run that offense.
So, what does this all mean for the Silver and Black as they gear up for Week 1? Cousins, entering his 15th NFL season, has 167 regular-season starts and an 88-77-2 record. He went 5-3 in his eight starts for the Atlanta Falcons last season, so he’s got recent game time under pressure. Mendoza gets to learn, watch, and refine his game without the immediate pressure of being the guy from day one. It’s a calculated gamble from Kubiak and the Raiders, betting on veteran stability to kick off their season. We’ll be watching closely here in Seattle to see if Klint’s old-school approach pays off in the desert, and what it ultimately means for the No. 1 pick’s future!
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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