LAS VEGAS (AP) Fernando Mendoza, the top pick in the draft, threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders in a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. The Heisman Trophy winner led a touchdown drive for the Raiders (0-1) on four drives, not including a knee late in the first half, and finished 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jack. Bech. “I thought he led a good scoring drive as far as getting in and out of the huddle, commanding the group and calling plays,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said. “I saw the same guy we’ve seen in practice. I see a player on the rise.” Mendoza was more critical in his self-evaluation. “Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today,” Mendoza said. “But it’s a growing experience and I feel like we’re all growing. It showed me that I need to grow a lot.” Mendoza became the first overall draft pick to throw a touchdown pass in his first preseason game since 2018, when Baker Mayfield had two for Cleveland against the New York Giants. Mendoza just missed a second touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, throwing out of the reach of Deven Thompkins. He was accurate at times, throwing a 19-yard pass in the second quarter between three defenders to fellow rookie Malik Benson. While he noted that everything went right on that play, including his timing with the receiver, Mendoza said some of his throws were a little off. “There were other passes I made that didn’t have great timing or anticipation,” Mendoza said. “But that was a good connection. You see (starter) Kirk (Cousins) is timing and anticipation: boom, boom, boom. So that’s an area I have to grow.” Mendoza led Indiana to a 27-21 victory over Beck and Miami in the title game in January. “It being preseason, we just didn’t want to take any chances,” Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said. “It was kind of a bummer for our fan base and (the media), and for me and for all of us because we want to see these guys out there.” Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby also did not play, which wasn’t completely unexpected after Kubiak said Tuesday that his playing status was to be determined. Crosby, who underwent knee surgery in January, participated in training camp. Teammate Jermod McCoy, who hasn’t played in nearly two years due to a torn ACL, played with the second-team defense at cornerback. He was the leading defender on two Cardinals touchdowns. Each team’s starting quarterback played one series, both resulting in touchdowns. Las Vegas’ Cousins was 5 of 6 for 50 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer. Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett completed all five passes for 44 yards and a 7-yard touchdown to Marvin Harrison Jr. Brissett and former Raider Gardner Minshew combined to go 15 of 15 for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to build a 21-14 lead. That string of completions stretched to 16 early in the second half before Minshew finally threw an incomplete pass on a throw to the right. Rookie Jeremiyah Love, selected third overall by the Cardinals, made his preseason debut and rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries. Cardinals: Rookie right guard Chase Bisontis, who was selected in the second round, injured his left knee. LaFleur said the injury appears serious. … LaFleur said he didn’t think Love’s ankle injury was a major concern. Cardinals: will host Dallas on August 22. Raiders: At Houston next Thursday.—AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Copyright 2026 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
