Las Vegas – Rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza faced a harsh introduction to the NFL on Thursday night, when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Raiders 18-12 in the final preseason game. The young signal‑caller was sacked twice and threw an interception, underscoring the steep learning curve that even the top overall draft pick must navigate.
“It’s the NFL, there are monsters on the other side of the ball and you need to get the ball out quick,” Mendoza said after the game. “It teaches you, you need to play on time, and there’s less margin for error. So I think it’s a great experience having that heat and duress because diamonds are built under pressure.”
Game details
San Francisco’s special teams shone, with kicker Eddy Piñeiro converting all six of his attempts, including a 51‑yard and a 54‑yard field goal in the final 1:51 of the game. Las Vegas’ Matt Gay, who spent part of last season with the 49ers, made four of five field goals, missing a 54‑yard try in the third quarter.
Mendoza completed 7 of 14 passes for 57 yards, bringing his preseason totals to 25 of 40 for 240 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and four sacks over three games. He led five drives against the 49ers, one ending in a field goal and another ending with the interception that gave San Francisco the lead.
Coaches weigh options
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak noted that Mendoza still needs more reps. “(Mendoza) needs another three preseason games, and all those rookies do,” Kubiak said. “Now that the season is starting, the practice reps get smaller and that’s just life. But us as coaches, we’ve got to get them ready to play and keep developing.”
San Francisco’s coach Kyle Shanahan, who fielded mostly backup players, said the preseason is a time for evaluation. “I’m looking forward to figuring out exactly our final team here over these next three days,” Shanahan said. “We got a lot of tough decisions; they’re not easy ones. I want to see how the practice squad pans out and really what our opening day roster is going to be.”
Other notable performances
Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, expected to start the regular season, took the majority of snaps in training camp and completed 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards, leading two drives that both ended in field goals.
Running back Mike Washington Jr. rushed for 49 yards on eight carries and finished the preseason with 168 yards, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. On the 49ers side, backup quarterback Mac Jones was limited to one first down and 20 yards on two drives.
Injuries and upcoming schedule
San Francisco listed cornerback Ephesians Prysock (shoulder) and tight end Brayden Willis (concussion) as injured, while linebacker Jalen Graham was evaluated for a concussion and cleared. The Raiders reported defensive end Keyron Crawford (ankle) hurt late in the third quarter.
The 49ers open their regular season on September 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. The Raiders will host the Miami Dolphins at home on September 13.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
