Raiders coach Klint Kubiak shuts down QB talk. Kirk Cousins remains the starter

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, before even taking questions, opened his weekly news conference Monday by affirming that Kirk Cousins remains the starting quarterback and “there is no controversy.”

Kubiak wanted to quell any talk that rookie Fernando Mendoza, the top pick in the NFL draft , would be handed the reins when Las Vegas visits the New York Jets on Sunday.

“Eventually, Fernando is going to play football,” Kubiak said. “We have a plan. We don’t have a timeline for that. Kirk is playing really well, and we’re in the hunt. It’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and continue to develop Fernando, but Fernando is going to play at some point. It’s not going to be this week.”

It's been a guessing game around the league when the Raiders would turn to Mendoza. Las Vegas' four-game losing streak certainly increased such chatter as the Raiders (3-4) dropped below .500 for the first time.

But Raiders general manager John Spytek has made clear this won't be a quick turnaround for a franchise that has made just two playoff appearances since reaching the Super Bowl in the 2002 season. And the four teams the Raiders just lost to — Kansas City, New England, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams — show the gap that still needs to be made up.

Three of those teams are among the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl, and the Patriots made it to the big game last season. The Raiders played the Chiefs and Bills to within a field goal, but they were blown out by the Patriots and Rams.

As far as a big-picture look at where the franchise stands, Kubiak said the team was focused on trying to “win the next game.”

“We’ve played very talented teams and played much more competitive games than that,” Kubiak said, referring to Sunday's 35-21 loss to the Rams . “When you start the game that slow, you put yourself in position to be behind that much, you don’t give yourself a chance to win.”

Los Angeles took a 28-6 halftime lead and then held off a second-half surge by Las Vegas.

The Raiders have issues throughout their lineup that go beyond what a potential quarterback change could help solve. Cousins leads the league with 16 touchdown passes, and his 97.4 passer rating is his highest since 2023.

That's even with a nearly nonexistent running game, an offensive line that has struggled to open holes and fend off pass rushers and a defense that's having trouble getting off the field.

“He’s the leader of the team, a guy that touches the ball every play,” Kubiak said of Cousins. “So it’s important that the team knows where we’re going.”

Punter AJ Cole can be counted on each week to deliver. Against the Rams, he averaged 56 yards per punt, though one turned into a touchback. Cole showed his quarterback skills on a fake punt in the third quarter, completing a pass to fullback Connor Heyward for a first down.

Plenty. The running game averages 3.0 yards per carry. The defense has tied a franchise record by giving up 27-plus points in each of the past five games. And the offensive line remains a work in progress, to put it charitably.

Dylan Laube has been a weapon as a kick returner. He had returns of 42 and 36 yards against the Rams, and for the season averages 31.1 yards, which would be a Raiders record for a full season. He leads the league among those with 10 or more returns. Laube has four returns that have gone at least 40 yards, which also tops the NFL.

Wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who played in high school in Las Vegas, hoped to show he is capable of being a first or second option after playing in the shadow of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota. The Raiders believed he could do it, giving Nailor a three-year, $35 million deal with $23 million guaranteed. It hasn't worked out like either party hoped, with Nailor sitting on eight catches for 75 yards and no touchdowns.

The Raiders designated WR Jack Bech (broken forearm) to return from injured reserve, opening a 21-day window in which they must add him to the 53-man roster, place him on season-ending IR or release or trade him. Las Vegas faces that deadline Wednesday regarding WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. (hamstring).

35.8 — Average points allowed by the Raiders over the past five weeks, highest in the NFL.

The Raiders visit the Jets on Sunday.

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