The ‘ruthless’ Kirk Cousins skill that Fernando Mendoza wants to replicate

The Las Vegas Raiders went against the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason finale, and though they lost 18-12, there are some positive things they can take from the game. All four quarterbacks hit the field for the Raiders, as Kirk Cousins got things started. Afterwards, it was rookie Fernando Mendoza, who had a solid night but threw an interception and took two sacks.

For most of the offseason, Mendoza has been under Cousins’ wing, learning different things and becoming better at the position. Through it all, Mendoza noted after the preseason finale that he wants to replicate this one trait from Cousins.

“Fernando Mendoza said Kirk Cousins plays ‘ruthlessly efficient.’ Said he wants to model the way Cousins has been able to end his drives with points,” Sam Warren of The Athletic wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

That’s a good trait to have, and it’s something that Cousins has mostly been known for. He knows how to push the ball down the field, but he doesn’t do it in a manner that causes him to turn the ball over all the time. That’s what every quarterback should strive to do, and Mendoza knows once he can consistently do that, it’ll be hard to stop him and the offense.

There are still some things that Mendoza is learning, and the Raiders don’t want to throw him out to the fire yet, even if he was the No. 1 pick. The best thing for him is to learn from Cousins, and there will possibly be a time this season when he ends up taking the QB1 spot.

It’s uncertain what would have to happen for him to do so, but Mendoza seems ready for the moment. He’s the quarterback of the future for the Raiders, and they know he’ll be ready for the moment as well.

The post The ‘ruthless’ Kirk Cousins skill that Fernando Mendoza wants to replicate appeared first on ClutchPoints.