Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza Makes Official NFL Debut — Here’s How He Did

Not bad, not bad.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza made his highly anticipated NFL debut Sunday, but it didn’t come under the best circumstances.

Late in the fourth quarter, Mendoza came on the drenched Gillette Stadium field with rain coming down and his team losing by 28 points to the New England Patriots.

With their only being six minutes remaining and the game not winnable, Vegas head coach Klint Kubiak decided to give some exposure to his No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza took advantage of his opportunity, tallying 48 yards off 6-of-8 passing. (RELATED: Commanders Turn Potential Overtime Victory Into Complete Disaster After Botched Last Play)

Mendoza led the Raiders to the red zone, however, they weren’t able to score due to a scramble attempt by the rookie being short of first down on a fourth-and-short play.

“It’s a good experience,” said Mendoza, per ESPN. “Every rookie has it at some point, so it was just that time. I was really proud of how the offense rallied even late in the game, and with undeniable effort there at the end.”

The Raiders suffered a 45-17 defeat to the Patriots.

WATCH:

Fernando Mendoza, smooth operator 👀 Solid debut for the No. 1 pick: 6/8 for 48 yards plus 3 rush yards in a single drive. Spread it around and showed mobility. Looks as advertised, albeit in garbage time. https://t.co/4E4kIghIUE

If I’m a Raiders fan, I’m completely ignoring the loss.

If you’re looking at this strictly through the lens of a rebuilding franchise, Fernando Mendoza’s late-game cameo is exactly what you wanted to see.

Sunday’s brief glimpse proved that when the kid finally gets the keys, the Silver and Black won’t have to wait long for the offense to find a pulse, and that’s helping me sleep at night as a Vegas fan.

Be proud of where you’re at, Raider Nation. You have a bright future ahead.