Coach Klint Kubiak's Las Vegas Raiders were beaten soundly by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 action as Ashton Jeanty's recent benching came into focus. Team ambassador Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions as the 49ers won 38-17 at Levi's Stadium.
After the game, Kubiak sounded off on his 4-5 team's future roster situation with the trade deadline two days away and hotshot rookie Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings to potentially steal Cousins' spot at QB. He was asked on whether or not the loss would affect potential trade choices and had a mouthful to say.
“Every day, the calculus changes. You get new information about your team, and that goes into the decision-making moving forward.”
Cousins is getting a lot of blame as fans wait to see Mendoza get extended game action, but the Raiders also have serious issues on defense after giving up over 400 yards to a depleted 49ers team led by Brock Purdy. Purdy's top receiving target was unheralded wideout Jordan Watkins, while George Kittle also had a solid day in the 49ers' win.
The Raiders got just 25 yards rushing from Jeanty. Brock Bowers continued his masterful play at tight end with 111 yards receiving and a touchdown.
The feeling among many Raiders fans is that Mendoza is ready to go, which could lead to a possible Kirk Cousins trade by the time the week is over and done with heading into next weekend's action. Kubiak's team shuffled its wide receiver room recently as they looked to the future.
The Raiders could also stick with Cousins and try to bolster the defense, or they could have a minor fire sale and start stockpiling draft picks for next season. Las Vegas has an interesting future, one that Kubiak knows is changing by the day. The Raiders will be a team to keep an eye on going forward as they seek a return to their winning form in the coming weeks.