Fernando Mendoza throws touchdown in preseason debut as Raiders lose to Cardinals
The Raiders rookie quarterback completed his first NFL outing with a scoring pass in Las Vegas, while Arizona rested Carson Beck because of a rib injury.
Fernando Mendoza made his preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night and threw a touchdown pass in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The game was played in Las Vegas as both teams continued their exhibition schedules.
Arizona did not use rookie quarterback Carson Beck after he hurt his ribs in the Hall of Fame Game, according to CBS Sports. That left the Cardinals to turn elsewhere at the position for the matchup with Las Vegas.
Mendoza’s first professional start drew attention because it offered an early look at the Raiders’ rookie passer. ESPN reported that he found the end zone through the air, while Yahoo Sports said his performance showed more positives than negatives.
The result came in the opening stretch of the NFL preseason, when teams are still sorting out depth charts and evaluating young players before the regular season.
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