Through one preseason game, quarterback Fernando Mendoza proved his worth as the No. 1 overall pick, demonstrating several characteristics of a future franchise signal caller.
Thursday night against the Houston Texans was a whole different ballgame, as Mendoza had to take on a defense-minded team on the road while opening the game with the starting offense. Here is how social media reacted to the rookie quarterback's performance.
Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) passes agains the Houston Texans in the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mendoza's First Drive
Similar to last week, Mendoza ripped a pass up the seam, this time a 22-yard bullet to Jalen Nailor over a linebacker. Although the rookie quarterback rarely operated from under center, it appears he's getting acclimated to that feature of Klint Kubiak's offense. Unfortunately, after a 33-yard run by Mike Washington Jr., Mendoza showed his youth, throwing a pick-six.
Fernando Mendoza throws a laser to Jalen Nailor for 22, and then Mike Washington follows it up with a 33 yard run.
Mendoza throws a pick six on the next play
Not the end of the world, as it will serve as a learning experience for Mendoza. The Raiders would not respond on the second drive, as the offensive line failed to hold up in protection on two plays.
Kirk Cousins’ expression right after Fernando Mendoza throws a Pick Six. pic.twitter.com/zoZCNXpFva
— Michael Grant (@Michael_Grant44) August 21, 2026Offensive Line Struggles
Kubiak put in the backup offensive line, and it goes without saying that the unit was abysmal. Houston’s defensive line was suffocating, and Mendoza had little to no time to navigate the field as the pocket collapsed.
I’ve been watching QB Fernando Mendoza of the Raiders for a long time tonight. His biggest problem will be the Raiders porous offensive line
— Upton Bell (@uptonbell) August 21, 2026Las Vegas' starting offensive line is formidable, but the depth on the second and third units is problematic.
So why would you put your rookie QB out there to learn, and give him a junkyard Offensive line and 3rd string offense? Are we trying to spook him? Or get him hurt? @Raiders
— Glenn Dog (@Djdaddydoug) August 21, 2026Mendoza Not Handed Any Favors
In the following drive, Mendoza had an 11-yard completion to Ian Thomas and an 18-yard pass to Malik Benson. However, the offensive line continued to give Mendoza no time to survey the field. It didn't help matters when Benson dropped an out route on a perfectly delivered ball from Mendoza on third down.
Please tell the offensive line to do their job
— Special (@Specops119) August 21, 2026Malik Benson drop....
— Jeantyszn (@jeanty_szn) August 21, 2026Rough First Half for Raiders
Las Vegas looked completely out of its depth in the first half against the Texans, and the offensive line was the main culprit.
3rd and 7 Fernando Mendoza throws a beautiful pass to Malik Benson, and he drops it, which stops the drive. Mendoza has had a few nice drives stopped by one mistake - INT, drop by benson, bad snap by the LG/C.
— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) August 21, 2026The interception falls on Mendoza's shoulders, but other than that play, the rookie quarterback was let down on several occasions, including two drops by Benson. In the first half, Mendoza completed 8-of-15 pass attempts for 86 yards and one interception. Luckily for Mendoza, if he plays at all this season, he will be operating behind a competent unit.
#RaiderNation Fernando Mendoza in the 1st half. 8/15, 86 yards, 1 INT #raiders #NFL pic.twitter.com/R7uCA4h2tt
— Az sports fan (@SportsFanInAz) August 21, 2026Just imagine Fernando Mendoza with Linderbaum in front of him. Probably had another 1.5 sec to throw at minimum
— Raiders Analyst (@Raiders_Analyst) August 21, 2026Overall, it was a shaky outing for Mendoza, but again, the rookie quarterback wasn't given any help by his teammates. I wouldn't reach too far into this game, as Las Vegas' pass protection was outright awful.
There's a couple things that's obviously clear, 1. Fernando Mendoza is a pocket passer and will have a lot of lessons learned from today. 2. The Texans have added talented players to an already good defense. 3. People are way too panicked regarding him being a bust/lemon.
— Believe Blue (@BelieveBlue1953) August 21, 2026Add us as a preferred source on Google

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