Silver and Black Today

In the debut episode of Silver & Black Verdicts, Judge Gully puts Raider Nation's preseason panic on trial. After Fernando Mendoza's rough pick-six outing, fans and national media are ready to bench Kirk Cousins and hand the rookie the keys — but the court isn't buying it. Judge Gully lays out the defense: rushing a ten-year franchise investment before he's ready isn't patience; it's panic, and the same people demanding Mendoza now would be the first to blame the coaching staff if he struggled. Verdict: stay the path, start Cousins, let Mendoza develop on his own clock — case closed.

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The Raiders escaped Houston with a 22-20 comeback win, but the real story broke after the final whistle. Fernando Mendoza ran the entire first half of the offense, threw an early pick-six, and struggled — then Aidan O'Connell came off the bench and threw for 166 yards, including the game-winning score. Afterward, head coach Klint Kubiak refused to name Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter, telling reporters "We got another week. I don't want anyone to be comfortable in their job."

On this episode of Silver & Black Today, Scott Gulbransen breaks down what Kubiak's comments actually mean for the quarterback competition, why Mendoza's rough start might matter less than the box score suggests, what Aidan O'Connell's performance does to that quarterback room, and every notable moment from the win over Houston — including Malik Benson's continued rise, the Jackson Powers-Johnson injury situation, and what to watch as the Raiders return to practice ahead of next week's preseason finale against the 49ers.

Silver & Black Today is your source for Las Vegas Raiders news and analysis, part of the BLEAV Podcast Network.

Follow the show: @LVGully / @SNBToday

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro and show setup

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Raider Nation, we asked for honest feedback all camp — well, we got it on Tuesday. Scott Gulbransen breaks down everything that came out of the Raiders' joint practices against the Houston Texans, starting with the offensive line getting worked by a legitimately talented Texans front. Protection breakdowns, a run game that never got going, and what it all means heading into tonight's preseason game.

Then the real story of the week: Fernando Mendoza taking extensive reps with the first team, including multiple pick-sixes by both QBs, and how he handled it afterward. Scott explains why a rough day against a real NFL defense isn't a red flag — it's tuition — and lays out the difference between Kirk Cousins as the floor and Mendoza as the ceiling at quarterback.

Also on deck: Klint Kubiak's measured response to Tuesday's practice, Brock Bowers returning to the field, the Powers-Johnson injury and what it means for Caleb Rogers' shot at right guard, the secondary competition with Darren Porter making noise, and a preview of what to watch for tonight as the Raiders take on the Texans in preseason game two.

Call in with your take at 702-907-8690, or send video to [email protected]. Catch Silver and Black Today live on the radio starting Week 1 on 101.5 KDON FM, Saturdays at 5 PM, and don't forget to subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get your audio.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro and welcome to Silver and Black Today

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Fernando Mendoza got his first live NFL action Thursday against Arizona — and the film tells a real story. On this episode of Silver and Black Today, Scott Gulbransen breaks down Mendoza's uneven-but-promising preseason debut, his touchdown pass to Jack Bech, and why his growing chemistry with rookie receiver Malik Benson might be the storyline that matters most heading into the season.

Plus: Kirk Cousins locks down every first-team rep for a third straight practice, Brendan Jackson lands on IR after his Arizona injury, and the Raiders respond by signing veteran defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. Scott also digs into Jermod McCoy's rough return from a 20-month injury layoff, Max Crosby's dominant week of practice, the still-unsettled right guard battle between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers, and a shuffling secondary as the Raiders prep for their joint practice and preseason game against the Houston Texans.

Call in with your take at 702-907-8869 or email [email protected] — you might end up on the show. Silver and Black Today is back on the radio in Las Vegas on Fridays at 5 pm on 101.5 KDAWN, starting Week 1, with the show posting to this feed Sunday mornings.

Chapters

0:00 Intro – Mendoza's first live NFL action

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Bonus crossover episode. Scott Gulbransen from Silver and Black Today hops on Raiders Fan Radio with Murf for an extended conversation on the Las Vegas Raiders — Fernando Mendoza's rookie preseason performance, why the defense's rough debut under Rob Leonard isn't cause for panic, and why Scott thinks Mark Davis finally deserves credit for building a real football operation around John Spytek, Tom Brady and Clint Kubiak. They also get into what "success" actually looks like for this rebuilding season, the Cousins-vs-Mendoza QB question, and close with a fast-paced "who's the better guitarist" game.

This episode is part of the BLEAV Network. Catch Silver and Black Today and Raiders Fan Radio for more Raiders coverage all season.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro and catching up

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The Klint Kubiak era starts for real Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium, and Fernando Mendoza makes his first appearance in live NFL action.

Scott Gulbransen sets the table on what actually matters in the Raiders' preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Kubiak confirmed his starters will play and said the club has a plan for snaps and series it isn't sharing publicly. Mendoza will get "plenty of reps." Scott lays out the three things to watch, and none of them are the stat line: the under-center exchange, whether Mendoza climbs the pocket or bails out the back, and what happens on the second read.

Also on the watch list: the receiver rotation order, the Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers guard battle, the open cornerback job, and Mike Washington Jr.'s workload.

GUEST: Mark Anderson, Associated Press. Mark covers the Raiders for the AP and joins the show to discuss what genuinely surprised him at training camp, whether Mendoza's under-center struggles are real or just rookie adjustment, Jack Bech's turnaround, what fans will notice about the Kubiak offense, the linebacker room, and his own top three things to watch Thursday night.

Chapters

00:25 - Thursday night at Allegiant, the Kubiak era begins

00:53 - Setting the record straight on Arizona's Hall of Fame Game

01:30 - Kubiak on who plays and for how long

03:11 - How much does Fernando Mendoza play?

05:57 - First unofficial depth chart, Mendoza over Aidan O'Connell

06:35 - Three things to watch with Mendoza

08:01 - What the Cardinals are doing with their starters

11:00 - Roster watch list: receivers, guards, corners, backs

15:15 - Tuesday's open practice recap

17:33 - The safety competition

19:30 - Quick hits: kickers, offensive line, O'Connell, Crosby

21:50 - Why the third quarter matters most

22:53 - INTERVIEW: Mark Anderson, Associated Press

47:53 - Caller: Lonnie from Fontana

51:05 - Video: Tariq on Kubiak and leadership

54:37 - Wrapping up

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Coming soon: back on the radio in Las Vegas, Saturdays at 5 PM on KDWN 101.5 FM.

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Four Las Vegas Raiders got into it Friday in Henderson. Two of them sat Saturday. Two of them took first-team reps. Nobody has asked Klint Kubiak to explain the difference — and that difference is the whole story of what this staff is building.

Maxx Crosby tipped a pair of passes at Kirk Cousins' release point and caught his hand on the second one. Cousins grabbed him by the jersey. No punches, both finished practice. Kubiak said almost nothing Friday, went home, slept on it, and Saturday morning his QB1 and the best defensive player this franchise has had in a decade stood on the sideline through the entire 11-on-11 period in front of 90 teammates.

But there was a second fight Friday. Jonah Laulu and Caleb Rogers went at it in the trenches. Rogers practiced Saturday, took first-team reps at right guard for a third straight day, and was on the playside of Ashton Jeanty's long touchdown run.

The verdict: this staff is operating on a genuinely different standard than any Raiders regime since the move to Vegas — accountability that runs upward, not downward. And there's a falsifiable tell you can check by the Houston joint practice on August 18th.

Also in this episode: Fernando Mendoza's first day with the first team, including three touchdowns and the snap issues nobody wants to talk about. Two on-air corrections. A national outlet that fabricated details and got syndicated to Yahoo. The Athletic's QB tiers, with Kirk Cousins landing 28th. The right guard competition and DJ Glaze's very unsettled hold on right tackle. Plus calls from Dave Casper the Ghost and Pastor Mike Behind Bars.

Chapters:

(00:00) Friday afternoon in Henderson

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Silver & Black Today is a BLEAV Network podcast. Ninth season covering the Las Vegas Raiders. Follow @SNBToday and @LVGully.

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Wednesday was a day off in Henderson, so Gully opens with what actually came out of Tuesday's practice. Masses and McCoy are both pushing for CB2, and if a Day 3 rookie wins that job in eleven practices, that says something about this draft class. Tonka Hemingway has a slim lead at nose tackle with Adam Butler and Benito Jones right behind him. Kwity Paye had a lot to say about him.

Then there's DJ Glaze. A lot of you have been asking why nobody's talking about him. He's taken the majority of right tackle reps and he's got 31 straight starts, but listen to how Rick Dennison talks about him: working hard, made some progress, things to get better at. That's process language, not a vote of confidence. Charles Grant and Trey Zuhn III are right there.

Then it's your turn. Anders in Oakland calls in with the best framing of Klint Kubiak anyone's given yet, running him through Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Washington, and makes the case that the buck actually stops with this staff. Raider Eddie in Denver wants to know if Glaze is too slow-footed for tackle and belongs at guard, whether Grant is really being groomed to back up Kolton Miller, and where Trey Zuhn fits. Plus Angry Rick 68 on X gets into Mike Florio and how PFT covers this franchise.

Be part of the show. Call the line at 702-900-7869 or send a video to [email protected]. Follow Gully on X @LVGully and the show @SNBToday.

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Chapters:

0:00 Intro: it's Thursday, Court of Public Opinion day

0:26 How to get on the show 1:38 Camp notes: Wednesday was a day off

1:58 Masses and McCoy are taking CB2

3:34 Tonka Hemingway's push at nose tackle

4:38 Why nobody's talking about DJ Glaze

6:04 Raider Nation Court of Public Opinion

7:03 Anders in Oakland on Kubiak, Spytek and leadership

10:05 Gully: the buck stops with this staff 13:32 Raider Eddie in Denver: is Glaze actually a guard? 15:59 O-line depth, Trey Zuhn III and Kolton Miller's mileage

19:56 Angry Rick 68 on Mike Florio and PFT

22:15 Strictly Business 450: what a "much better season" really looks like

25:05 Ry7: is Kirk Cousins "faux successful"?

28:24 Las Vegas Ranger: Masses blanketed Dont'e Thornton Jr.

30:13 Red Dirt Raider: the Mendoza reps non-controversy

33:37 Michael Turner 3761: nine years and "didn't like you at first"

35:13 Omega Supreme with Cheese: Cousins' age and the Brady-Bledsoe path

39:17 Wrap, where to find Gully's writing, and sign-off

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The Las Vegas Raiders put the pads on for the first time Monday morning — the fifth practice of training camp — and Fernando Mendoza was still working with the second team.

Over the weekend that became a national argument. Mike Florio said the Raiders are "deliberately choosing the lesser guy" by naming Kirk Cousins the starter, and warned it would cost them the locker room. Albert Breer was standing on that same practice field and wrote that Cousins is still clearly the best guy at running Klint Kubiak's offense. Two respected voices, one practice, opposite conclusions.

Gully works through both, then makes the case that everyone is arguing about the wrong thing — because what has actually broken for Mendoza in this camp isn't arm talent, it's operation. And the man who built this whole plan isn't the head coach. It's a minority owner named Tom Brady.

Plus: Maxx Crosby was dominant on the first day in pads, seven months off a meniscus repair, which puts the Baltimore trade that fell apart back on the table. Eric Stokes is playing like a CB1 and spending practice coaching up the rookies trying to take his job. And the offensive line finally got a real test.

Chapters:

0:00 Pads are on — Day 5 at Raiders camp 1:34 Klint Kubiak: "We don't have any turds" 2:04 Florio: the Raiders are starting "the lesser guy" 3:40 Albert Breer's answer from the practice field 5:00 The under-center problem nobody mentions 6:25 What actually happened to Mendoza in pads 7:12 The Jordan Meredith snap detail 8:42 Operation, not arm talent 10:18 Tom Brady's fingerprints are all over this 12:25 Sits all year or plays a lot? Both can't be true 12:54 Carson Palmer, 2003 — the last No. 1 QB to sit 14:10 The tell: watch his under-center reps 15:05 Maxx Crosby was dominant in pads 16:17 Baltimore had two first-rounders on the table 17:49 The snap count nobody will talk about 20:24 Eric Stokes is playing like CB1 21:49 The CB2 job — being honest, we don't know 23:17 Jermod McCoy's knee 25:20 Why the secondary decides this season 27:04 The wide receiver problem 28:48 No No. 1 receiver, and Kubiak may not want one 31:45 The trenches: Linderbaum at the point of attack 33:54 Kubiak adjusted inside the practice 34:32 Tonka Hemingway is emerging 35:43 The whole rebuild in one morning 37:17 What's next: Thursday and Allegiant 39:50 Raider Nation hotline + where to find us

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Training camp is officially open, and the Raiders got the headline they needed before a single snap: Klint Kubiak said "full go" on Maxx Crosby. Scott breaks down Kubiak's Tuesday press conference — why Crosby's health and the rookie corner's recovery matter more than any camp battle, why Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback for now, and what "versatility over raw talent" means for the guard competition. Then it's calls and comments from Raider Nation on the rebuild timeline, the Vita Vea trade chatter, the Washington Jr./Gentry backfield, and a wide receiver room that still has to prove itself.

Call in at 702-900-7869 or email [email protected] to be part of the next show.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

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