Cousins Starts vs Jets; Mendoza Start Has No Timeline — SkimNews
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- Kirk Cousins will remain the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback for Sunday's road game against the New York Jets, and Klint Kubiak said there is "no controversy" about replacing the 38-year-old with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.
- Las Vegas Raiders fell to 3-4 after a 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that extended their losing streak to four games; afterward, Kubiak said he would evaluate "everything," including the quarterback position.
- Kirk Cousins leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 16 and ranks third in passing yards at 1,877, while Kubiak said he was playing at a "very high level" and had his full support.
- Kirk Cousins overcame a shaky first half against the Rams and finished with 295 passing yards, two touchdowns, a 59.1% completion rate and a 94.4 passer rating; he was blitzed on 29.2% of dropbacks, sacked twice and pressured 19 times.
- Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut at the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter in the Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards.
- Klint Kubiak said Fernando Mendoza is "going to play football" and that the Raiders have a plan for him, but gave no timeline for his first career start, adding: "It's not going to be this week."
Why it matters: Cousins keeps the start with 16 NFL-leading touchdown passes as the 3-4 Raiders evaluate a four-game skid, while Kubiak says they must keep helping the areas around him. The No. 1 pick, Mendoza, continues developing under a plan with no announced first-start date, leaving the succession timetable unsettled.
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