With the start of the regular season just over three weeks away, the Las Vegas Raiders still haven't named a starting quarterback. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak had the chance to name a starter following the team's 22-20 preseason win over the Texans on Thursday night, but instead, he decided to keep everyone guessing. "We got another week of playing.
I don't want anyone to be comfortable in their job," Kubiak said. "It should always be that way for all positions. So, let's keep going forward." That makes it sound like the battle between Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza will be raging on for another week, but based on what Kubiak has said throughout training camp, it seems like his decision has already been made; he's just not ready to share it.
Right now, all signs point to Cousins. Over the course of training camp, the closest Kubiak has come to naming a starter came after the Raiders' first preseason game back on Aug. 13. In a 27-14 loss to the Cardinals, Cousins was on the field for exactly one offensive possession, and he was nearly perfect: The veteran quarterback went 5-of-6 for 50 yards and a touchdown.
"Kirk's been getting the reps with the ones. I think he's had a solid training camp and it's his job to lose," Kubiak said. Those last five words are the key ones: It's his job to lose.
In the week since those comments were made, Cousins hasn't really done anything to lose the job. The four-time Pro Bowler didn't play on Thursday night against the Texans, but he took part in a joint practice against Houston earlier this week. Cousins put together an up-and-down day against the Texans.
On the negative side, he threw a pick-six to Kamari Lassiter, according to The Athletic, but he also made several big plays against a Texans team that will almost certainly have one of the best defenses in the NFL this year. "Probably would have liked to have finished a little stronger," Cousins said after Tuesday's practice, via The Athletic. "But we made some plays in the first few periods that we were pleased with, and we'll keep building from here." With Cousins struggling some, this could have been a spot where Mendoza closed the gap with the 38-year-old veteran, but instead, the No. 1 overall pick also struggled against Houston's defense.
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