No. 1 pick Mendoza debuts in Raiders' blowout loss to Patriots — SkimNews
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- Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut in Week 5, replacing Kirk Cousins with just over six minutes left in the Raiders' 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots
- Mendoza finished 6-of-8 for 48 yards with no touchdowns, interceptions, or sacks, starting 5-for-5 before his first incompletion inside the Patriots' 20-yard line
- Kirk Cousins went 19-of-28 for 243 yards and one touchdown before being pulled, having entered the week tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with 11
- Mendoza became the first No. 1 overall selected quarterback to not start Week 1 since Baker Mayfield in 2018, having begun the season as Cousins' backup
- The Raiders fell to 3-2 after starting as one of the league's last remaining undefeated teams, dropping their second straight game
- The Patriots improved to 3-2 with their second consecutive win, having defeated the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, and now host the Raiders next week
Why it matters: Mendoza's cameo came in a 28-point blowout with no game left to affect, so his 6-of-8 line is essentially meaningless as a readiness sample. With Las Vegas having waited until garbage time of a second straight loss — dropping a previously undefeated team to 3-2 — the rookie's actual starting timeline stays unresolved heading into Week 6 at Buffalo.
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