Follow-up: After Fourth Straight Loss, Raiders Coach Opens Door to a Change as No. 1 Pick Mendoza Could Move Up
After a 35-21 loss to the Rams on October 25 and a fourth straight defeat, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak opened the door after the game: to turn things around, "everything is on the table," including a change at quarterback. His remarks sharply raised the possibility that No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza could take over sooner than expected.
Veteran Kirk Cousins has started all seven games this season and went 26 of 44 for 295 yards and two touchdowns in this game — respectable numbers — but the team's ground game has remained anemic: just 48 yards on 17 carries in this game, an average of 2.8 yards per carry, and a season average of 79.2 rushing yards per game, ranked 30th in the league. Kubiak said the team must look for answers in every area, including red-zone efficiency, third-quarter performance, personnel and scheme.
Mendoza, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick, made his regular-season debut on October 11 in a road loss to the New England Patriots, completing six of eight passes for 48 yards while New England was already in a prevent defense with the outcome decided. Mendoza said afterward that the debut experience was not a pleasant one because the team lost, but he thanked his teammates for fighting to the end.
After a 3-0 start, the Raiders have lost four straight, sliding from division contender toward the edge of the lottery, and the decision on whether to make a change could come during the coming week of practice.
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 拉斯维加斯忠实体育场，突袭者主场（资料图）。图片来源：Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0。Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the Raiders (file photo). Photo: Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
