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The Las Vegas Raiders are mired in a four-game losing streak as they prepare to face the New York Jets in Week 8. The Jets, meanwhile, are eager to bounce back after a surprising loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins.
At 3-4, the Raiders have a chance to right the ship against a Jets team quarterbacked by Geno Smith. However, the bigger question looming in Las Vegas is whether it's time to hand the reins to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick.
After a 3-0 start, the Raiders have stumbled, leading to speculation that the team might shift its focus toward developing Mendoza as the long-term answer at quarterback. Yet, the losing hasn't been due to Kirk Cousins' performance. The veteran has taken 299 pass snaps for the Silver and Black, earning a 72.8 overall PFF grade this season. Cousins has thrown for 1,877 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, while recording nine big-time throws and seven turnover-worthy plays.
Given that production, former NFL tight end and FOX Sports analyst Rob Gronkowski shared his perspective on the Raiders' quarterback situation. "This is when you start Fernando Mendoza, is when Kirk Cousins starts falling off," Gronkowski said in an Oct. 27 video for FOX Sports. "If he does start falling off, he's playing great football. You can't bench a guy that is playing at that level of football in the NFL."
When Should the Raiders Make the Switch?
Gronkowski did outline the conditions under which he believes Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak should make the change and usher in the Mendoza era. "The future is more important," Gronkowski added. "This is when the future becomes more important: if the Raiders are out of playoff contention. That's when you start Fernando Mendoza, even if Kirk Cousins is still playing at a high level. Well, guess what, Kirk? We're looking into the future now. We're out of playoff contention, so that's when you start him. Or if Kirk Cousins starts falling off and not producing."
While Gronkowski advocates for sticking with Cousins, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III sees it differently. Griffin believes the time is now for Kubiak to make the switch. "Kirk Cousins has done what he was supposed to do for the Raiders, which was to give Fernando Mendoza time to grow and develop into the quarterback he needs to be," Griffin said during an Oct. 26 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. "Maybe he wasn't ready at the end of the preseason. They should have started him anyway because I think he's a culture changer for them. At this point, when you're on that four-game losing streak, when is there a better time to start Fernando Mendoza? I think the time is now."
It will be intriguing to see what the Raiders decide for the game against the Jets, but if the team drops to 3-5, the conversation about their quarterback situation will only intensify.
Originally reported by yahoo.