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Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut Thursday night as the Las Vegas Raiders opened the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals, and we finally got an extended look at the No. 1 overall pick in live game action.

Former Raiders wide receiver Ryan Hoag joins Jesse Merrick to break down what Mendoza showed in his first professional game, from his adjustment to NFL speed and handling pressure to some of the throws that flashed exactly why Las Vegas made him the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

We also break down Kirk Cousins and the Raiders' starting offense, including an efficient opening drive that featured plenty of motion and multiple personnel groupings. Plus, what did the first-team defense show, and which players helped — or hurt — themselves in the first preseason game?

On this episode:

Fernando Mendoza's first extended NFL action

What Mendoza did well — and where he still needs to improve

Kirk Cousins and the starting offense

Jack Bech making the most of his opportunities

Mike Washington Jr.'s explosive night

The Raiders' cornerback competition

Darien Porter and Jermod McCoy's performances

Greedy Vance emerging in the secondary

Concerns about the Raiders' defensive line and pass rush

Keyron Crawford, Cian Slone and other young defenders

Our biggest takeaways from Raiders vs. Cardinals

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What was YOUR biggest takeaway from Fernando Mendoza's debut? Let us know in the comments.

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The Raiders took over Allegiant Stadium for Day 11 of training camp, and Jeanty delivered one of the biggest plays of the night—bursting through the defense for an untouched 30+ yard touchdown run.

But the explosive run is only part of the story.

Throughout training camp, we're continuing to see signs of just how heavily the Raiders could lean on Jeanty in 2026, not only on the ground but also as a weapon in the passing game.

We also dive into all of the biggest takeaways from the Raiders' practice at Allegiant Stadium, including:

Kirk Cousins continuing to efficiently operate the Raiders offense

Fernando Mendoza flashing some impressive NFL throws, and still showing some rookie growing pains

Aidan O'Connell pushing the ball downfield

Malik Benson continuing to make his case at wide receiver

Tonka Hemingway making more noise along the defensive line

The Raiders' pass rush creating problems

The latest developments in the kicking competition

What we're learning about this Raiders offense after 11 training camp practices

Then we turn our attention toward Thursday's preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals and lay out what matters most when the Raiders finally take the field against another team.

Who plays? How much should Fernando Mendoza get? Which young players have the most to gain? And which roster battles could begin to take shape once the lights come on?

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What's the ONE thing you're most excited to watch when the Raiders take on the Cardinals in the preseason opener?

Drop your answer in the comments.

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Kirk Cousins returned to full participation at Raiders Training Camp, and he came back firing.

After Cousins and Maxx Crosby were held out of team drills Saturday following their practice altercation, both veterans were back in the mix for Day 10, and Cousins delivered one of his best practices of camp.

Jesse Merrick breaks down what he saw from Cousins, who started fast in the red zone, connected with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, and even brought out the famous “You like that?!” while jawing back and forth with the Raiders defense.

It wasn't as smooth of a day for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. The rookie battled some inconsistency, including a rough finish to the two-minute drill, after getting extended work with the first-team offense Saturday. We break down what went wrong and why the way Mendoza responds at the Raiders' upcoming Allegiant Stadium practice will be worth watching.

Plus, the Raiders' young cornerback competition continues to get more interesting. Hezekiah Masses got his first work in the slot with the first-team defense, Darien Porter continues to battle, and Jermod McCoy says he's getting closer to his old self as he works his way back into football shape.

We also dive into Malik Benson making another impressive play, Tonka Hemingway's strong camp, Malcolm Koonce making his presence felt, Trey Zuhn moving back to center, and several players to watch as the Raiders prepare for their preseason opener.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Who do you think wins the starting cornerback job opposite Eric Stokes—and why?

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Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby were held out of the team portions of Raiders practice on Saturday following their heated altercation on Friday, and that opened the door for Fernando Mendoza.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak said Cousins and Crosby were held out after violating the team's expectations for how they practice, sending an early message that even two of the Raiders' biggest leaders will be held accountable. Kubiak said they would be back at practice Monday.

But their absence also created a major opportunity for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who received his first extended work with the Raiders' first-team offense.

So how did the rookie respond?

In this episode, Jesse Merrick breaks down everything he saw from Mendoza during Day 9 of Raiders Training Camp, including a shaky start, his ability to respond to mistakes, an impressive touchdown to Michael Mayer, a beautiful red-zone throw to Tre Tucker and an efficient two-minute drive to close practice.

We also dive into:

Why Kubiak held Cousins and Crosby out, and what message it sends to the locker room

Fernando Mendoza's first extended opportunity with the 1s

What Mendoza is already showing in Klint Kubiak's play-action and bootleg-heavy offense

Aidan O'Connell taking advantage of increased reps

The latest on the Jackson Powers-Johnson vs. Caleb Rogers battle at right guard

Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington Jr. flashing in the running game

Malcolm Koonce making some noise

Connor Heyward's physicality

More Raiders who could be worth watching in the preseason

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you like Kubiak's decision to hold Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby out of team drills following Friday's fight?

Make sure you LIKE and SUBSCRIBE for daily Raiders Training Camp coverage straight from Raiders HQ.

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Things got heated between Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby at Raiders Training Camp.

The Raiders had their first real scuffle of camp after Maxx made contact with Cousins' throwing arm for the second time during practice. Kirk wasn't happy about it, and the veteran quarterback wasn't afraid to let one of the unquestioned leaders of this team know about it.

What happened afterward may have been even more interesting, as Cousins responded by getting dialed in during the Raiders' two-minute period and continued what's been an impressive training camp for the veteran QB.

In today's episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, Jesse Merrick breaks down everything he saw from Day 8 of Raiders Training Camp, including:

What happened between Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby

Why Kirk's response could matter inside the Raiders locker room

Malik Benson's continued rise and why the rookie WR is earning more first-team opportunities

Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer making plays in a heavy dose of 12 personnel

Second-round pick Treydan Stukes getting increased work with the starters

Why Greedy Vance continues to impress in the secondary

The latest on the Jackson Powers-Johnson vs. Caleb Rogers battle at right guard

Another young Raiders RB who continues to flash

The latest from the Raiders' kicking competition

The deeper we get into training camp, the more we're beginning to see which players are separating themselves, and several young Raiders are starting to make their move.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you buying the Malik Benson hype? How big of a role do you think the rookie receiver will have in this Raiders offense?

Subscribe for daily coverage straight from Raiders HQ throughout training camp, and check out the FREE Silver & Black Sports Network Raiders Newsletter at SilverAndBlackSportsNetwork.com.

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For the first time this summer, the coaching staff rotated the first-team offensive line as Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers split reps at right guard. Is this the beginning of a true competition, and could more changes be coming up front?

In today's episode, Jesse Merrick breaks down why this move matters, what it says about the Raiders' confidence in the offensive line, and the biggest takeaways from Day 7 of training camp.

In this episode:

The right guard battle between JPJ and Caleb Rogers begins

Why this is the first major shakeup of the starting offense

Maxx Crosby dominates

The defensive backs come away with multiple interceptions and pass breakups

Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza air it out

Standout performances from both sides of the ball

What to watch as training camp continues

Question of the Day:

Who do you think will win the competition at right guard?

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Football games are won in the trenches, and the Raiders know that.

At Tuesday's practice , Jesse Merrick zeroed in on the offensive and defensive lines during 1-on-1s to get a better evaluation of the battle in the trenches.

In this episode, Jesse breaks down the biggest takeaways from Raiders Training Camp, including:

🏴‍☠️ Which offensive and defensive linemen dominated 1-on-1s

🏴‍☠️ Tonka Hemingway's continued rise

🏴‍☠️ JJ Pegues, Trey Zuhn and Caleb Rogers continue battling for bigger roles

🏴‍☠️ Tyler Linderbaum, Kolton Miller and the latest offensive line developments

🏴‍☠️ Keyron Crawford's impressive response after a slow start

🏴‍☠️ The latest on Jackson Powers-Johnson and the offensive line competition

🏴‍☠️ Standout performances from the WR vs. DB 1-on-1 period, including Malik Benson, Jack Bech, Hezekiah Masses and Brock Bowers

🏴‍☠️ Red-zone observations featuring Kirk Cousins, Fernando Mendoza, Brock Bowers and Jalen Nailor

👇 Question of the Day:

Which offensive and defensive linemen do you think are primed for bigger roles this season?

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Now that the "Underwear Olympics" are over, we finally got our first real look at the Las Vegas Raiders in full pads.

In this episode, I break down my biggest takeaways from the first padded practice of training camp, including:

🏈 Kirk Cousins continues to look sharp and why his experience is showing.

🏈 Fernando Mendoza's impressive response after a rocky start.

🏈 The biggest winners and losers from the first WR vs. DB one-on-one battles.

🏈 Brock Bowers reminding everyone why he's one of the NFL's toughest covers.

🏈 Hezekiah Masses, Darien Porter, Jermod McCoy and the battle for the starting cornerback job.

🏈 The latest on the offensive line competition, including Trey Zuhn, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers.

🏈 My thoughts on Ashton Jeanty, Tonka Hemingway, Maxx Crosby and several other standouts from practice.

👇 Question of the Day:

Now that the pads are on, which Raider do you think will shine the most? Let me know in the comments.

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Kirk Cousins turned in his best practice of Raiders training camp.

After a quieter start to camp for the offense as a whole, the veteran quarterback put together an outstanding Day 3, showing off his chemistry with Brock Bowers, pushing the ball down the field more consistently in red zone periods, and leading an offense that looked really sharp.

In today's episode, Jesse Merrick breaks down everything that stood out from Day 3 of Raiders Training Camp.

🏴‍☠️ Kirk Cousins' best practice so far

🏴‍☠️ Why the connection with Brock Bowers is already obvious

🏴‍☠️ The Raiders receivers bounce back after a rough Day 2

🏴‍☠️ Fernando Mendoza continues making steady progress

🏴‍☠️ Special teams observations and the kicking competition

🏴‍☠️ Trey Zuhn's role along the offensive line

🏴‍☠️ Hezekiah Masses continues to impress

🏴‍☠️ Tonka Hemingway and other young defenders earning more opportunities

🏴‍☠️ The latest position battles taking shape

👇 Question of the Day:

What's been your biggest takeaway from the first three days of Raiders training camp?

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The Raiders are two practices into training camp, and a few early trends are starting to emerge.

In today's episode, Jesse Merrick breaks down his biggest observations from Day 2, including the struggles at wide receiver, the surprising rise of rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses, Fernando Mendoza's continued development, and several young players beginning to carve out bigger roles.

🏴‍☠️ In this episode:

Are the Raiders' wide receivers a real concern?

Hezekiah Masses making a serious push for a starting job?

Fernando Mendoza's progress with the second-team offense

Kirk Cousins' steady start to camp

Mike Washington Jr. continues to flash

Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean taking shape

Tonka Hemingway earning more looks

Offensive line competitions to watch

It's still early in camp, but these are the storylines I'm watching most closely as the Raiders continue building toward the regular season.

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