Tosses pick-six in first start

Mendoza completed eight of 15 passes for 86 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Thursday's 22-20 preseason win over the Texans.

Mendoza made his first start at the NFL level and played the first half but it wasn't a pretty outing for the rookie first overall pick in his second preseason game. The Raiders were outscored 20-3 during Mendoza's time in the game, and his first drive ended in an 80-yard pick-six. Mendoza failed to close the gap between himself and Kirk Cousins, who started Vegas' preseason opener and remains the favorite to start for the team in Week 1. This poor outing from the rookie shows why the Raiders' brass would rather let Mendoza adjust to the NFL from a backup role to begin his career.