mendoza mania
I am watching IU Soccer, but will have Fernando on a second TV
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Pick six… ☹️
A pIck six and he got stiff armed...oooof. But hey he could lock in now like last year
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Yes, the pick six but he made some nice throws, particularly the pass to Nailor in the first quarter and to Malik Benson in the second. (Benson had two drops of passes that were right on the money).
All in all, a decent half.
Also, good to see Hemby in on returns.
The pick six was not good. But the pass protection was non-existent. Your quarterback shouldn't be rushing three step drops because he has multiple guys in his face. They will have to get that figured out or they may have multiple QB injuries this year
@big-ryan those 2 drops were huge. The first drop it Benson perfectly in stride. He turns that corner and, if not a TD, goes a long way to put the Raiders in FG range for points on the board. The second drop killed another promising drive that had started deep in Raider territory. Both balls were well thrown and catches any NFL receiver (or college receiver) is expected to make. Add in those 2 completions and at least another 35 yards and his final line looks pretty good after the Pick-6. He showed good mental fortitude to stay sharp and make good decisions after that disaster - much like his composure after his pick-6 at Autzen.
Personally, its 2 more pre-season games I've watched than the past decade combined. I know the Raiders plan to start Cousins and ease Fernando in, but after approx 5 quarters of play, taking some big shots, and seeing how well he is working through his progressions, making good decisions, accurately placing the balls, and (generally) keeping the ball out of harm's way - I think he'll be ready to start sooner than later.
Not saying he's already outplaying Cousins in practice and/or games as Cousins clearly is comfortable in the Kubiak system - but the game doesn't seem "too big" or overwhelming for Fernando as some rookie QB's find out (Anthony Richardson of the Colts is an example of a guy with the measurables scouts drool after, but clearly needed time to adjust to the mental and emotional aspects of playing QB in the NFL) so assuming continued improvement (which was a hallmark of his from his arrival at Cal as 3rd string to National Champion at IU), I would expect to see him behind center by mid-season.
Not like the Raiders are making the playoffs or anything, so once it's clear he isn't going freeze up / stunt his growth, he needs to get out there and play.