Mendoza Throws TD in Preseason Debut | Reno News

Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 draft pick, made his preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders and threw a six-yard touchdown to Jack Bech, leading one scoring drive in four series while completing 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards—becoming the first top overall pick since Baker Mayfield in 2018 to score a TD in his preseason opener. Though the Raiders lost 27-14 to the Cardinals, coach Klint Kubiak praised Mendoza’s growing command, while Mendoza himself admitted he let teammates down and has plenty to improve. The game was set up as a college title rematch between Mendoza (Indiana) and Carson Beck (Miami), but Beck sat out with sore ribs, prompting Cardinals coach to avoid risking his injury. Meanwhile, Raiders star Maxx Crosby missed the game recovering from knee surgery, and Cardinals rookie guard Chase Bisontis suffered a serious knee injury. Both teams’ starting QBs—Kirk Cousins and Jacoby Brissett—led touchdown drives in their single series each. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6ade401ab4d7837c