With Geno Smith now in Minnesota, Fernando Mendoza gets his debut start against a Seattle defense allowing an NFL-low 244.2 yards per game.
Fernando Mendoza finally gets his shot. The Raiders' No. 1 overall pick waited nine weeks for his first NFL start, and it arrives against a Seattle Seahawks defense built by Mike Macdonald, one of the league's sharper defensive minds and no friend to rookie quarterbacks.
Mendoza's only prior action came in a Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots, when he went 6 of 8 for 48 yards in relief. That is the entire NFL resume he brings into Sunday against a Seahawks unit allowing an NFL-low 244.2 yards per game.
The hype still exists for a reason. Mendoza completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards at Indiana last season and arrives with Heisman-level polish. But fantasy analysts are treating this as a learning trip rather than a breakout spot, with most rankings slotting him as a low-end QB2 even in superflex formats.
The Raiders' skill position outlook shifted the moment the quarterback change went through, reshaping how Las Vegas plans to attack a defense that has made life difficult for young passers all season. Sunday will be the first real test of whether Mendoza is ready for it.