{"id":753041,"date":"2026-11-12T22:25:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T19:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fernando-mendozas-throws-at-raiders-practice-have-wow-factor\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T22:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T19:25:21","slug":"fernando-mendozas-throws-at-raiders-practice-have-wow-factor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fernando-mendozas-throws-at-raiders-practice-have-wow-factor\/","title":{"rendered":"Fernando Mendoza\u2019s throws at Raiders practice have &#8216;wow&#8217; factor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af6170275b1c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af6170275b1c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fernando-mendozas-throws-at-raiders-practice-have-wow-factor\/#%E2%80%9CFernando_Mendozas_throws_at_Raiders_practice_have_%E2%80%98wow_factor%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Fernando Mendoza\u2019s throws at Raiders practice have &#8216;wow&#8217; factor&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fernando-mendozas-throws-at-raiders-practice-have-wow-factor\/#More_FromVincent_Bonsignore\" >More From\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVincent Bonsignore<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CFernando_Mendozas_throws_at_Raiders_practice_have_%E2%80%98wow_factor%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Fernando Mendoza\u2019s throws at Raiders practice have &#8216;wow&#8217; factor&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F11%2Fnewspress-collage-calfdyzsc-1794511355717.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall%261794493400\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Fernando Mendoza took every first-team snap at Raiders practice Wednesday. That part was new. The throws that have his teammates looking forward to his first NFL start Sunday? They\u2019ve been seeing those for more than nine weeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was out there slinging it,\u201d the Raiders tight end Brock Bowers said. \u201cNothing new, though. That\u2019s what he\u2019s done the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There might not be a better explanation for how the Raiders got comfortable trading their starting quarterback to the Vikings on Tuesday, right smack in the middle of a season in which Cousins was playing about as well as all but 10 or 12 quarterbacks in the NFL. At 4-5, with eight <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s to play, the Raiders still had a playoff race to worry about. <\/p>\n<p>And yet they just handed the offense to a 22-year-old about to make his first NFL start Sunday against the Seahawks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Fernando Mendoza (15) of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From the outside, that\u2019s a pretty good leap of faith. Inside the building, the Raiders had months of work to go on. And some of the people best qualified to explain what they saw spent a lot of that time on the receiving end of it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been seeing it all year. He\u2019s been taking reps with us,\u201d wide receiver Tre Tucker said. \u201cHe\u2019s been doing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Every so often, a ball would come off Mendoza\u2019s hand that reminded Tucker how the kid wound up in Las Vegas in the first place, by way of a Heisman Trophy, a national championship at Indiana and the first overall pick in the NFL draft.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--more inline-module--author inline-module--more--thirds\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<h2 class=\"inline-module__heading subsection-heading subsection-heading--underline subsection-heading--underline--indent-30 \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_FromVincent_Bonsignore\"><\/span>\n\t\t\tMore From\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"subsection-heading__sub\">Vincent Bonsignore<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cYou just see a throw in practice and say, \u2018Wow.\u2019\u201d Tucker said.<\/p>\n<p>Tucker gets to see those throws behind the scenes. Come Sunday, a whole stadium full of fans who have spent the better part of nine weeks asking about Mendoza will finally get a look for themselves. Count Tucker among those a little more amped than usual to get to game day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor that to be out there this Sunday is going to be fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Left tackle Kolton Miller is usually too busy protecting Mendoza to see where the ball lands. He\u2019s heard enough in the huddle, though, to know the rookie can get everybody\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know he seems kind of quirky,\u201d Miller said. \u201cBut on the field, he commands the huddle. He speaks with volume.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>San Francisco 49ers\u2019 Ji\u2019ayir Brown tackles Las Vegas Raiders\u2019 Brock Bowers on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That carries some weight coming from the guy whose job it is to protect Mendoza\u2019s blind side. So does the distinction Miller makes. Whatever anyone thinks of Mendoza\u2019s mannerisms, the veteran left tackle has no trouble hearing him, and there\u2019s no confusion about who\u2019s running the offense.<\/p>\n<p>How did Mendoza find his voice while Cousins was still doing most of the talking? Raiders coach Klint Kubiak would take you back to April, when Mendoza started preparing for the chance he\u2019ll get Sunday against the Seahawks.<\/p>\n<p>A first NFL start can make a young quarterback feel like everything is coming at him a million miles a minute. Kubiak figures all those weeks Mendoza spent preparing as if he\u2019d be the primary voice in the huddle should turn the volume down a little.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be a whirlwind if he\u2019s been preparing the right way each week,\u201d Kubiak said. \u201cAt some point he knew he was going to get an opportunity, and so he\u2019s been preparing that way since April.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sunday brings a part of the job nobody could duplicate for Mendoza while Cousins was here. If the Raiders go three-and-out on the opening <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>, it falls to him to get them going on the next one. Part of which requires Mendoza to understand quarterback brilliance sometimes comes down to just doing your part.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have such a great offensive staff, and we have such a great offense,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cWhether it was leaders in the offensive line, leaders in the receiver room, leaders in the tight end room, or leaders in the running back room that I believe that they\u2019re going to help me along the way to best execute my 1\/11th, so we could all move forward and be efficient and effective as an offense.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker (1) runs against San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Kelley L. Cox<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of those guys is Bowers. Another is Tucker. Imagine what it would mean to Mendoza to get that first completion under his belt Sunday, to look up and see one of them on the other end of a throw he\u2019s waited nine weeks to make.<\/p>\n<p>You can already imagine what Bowers would say about it. Something along the lines of \u201cbeen there, done that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" >News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/11\/12\/sports\/fernando-mendoza-throws-raiders-practice-wow-factor\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Fernando Mendoza\u2019s throws at Raiders practice have &#8216;wow&#8217; factor&#8221; Fernando Mendoza took every first-team snap at Raiders practice Wednesday. That part was new. The throws that have his teammates looking forward to his first NFL start Sunday? They\u2019ve been seeing those for more than nine weeks. \u201cHe was out there slinging it,\u201d the Raiders tight&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":753042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/11\/newspress-collage-calfdyzsc-1794511355717.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1794493400&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[164085,164091,164073,73150],"class_list":["post-753041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-12-26","tag-brock-bowers","tag-fernando-mendoza","tag-las-vegas-raiders"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}