LAS VEGAS – The Raiders continued to do Raider things on Sunday, falling to the Broncos 24-17 at Allegiant Stadium in a game that was far less competitive than the narrow loss they suffered in Denver last month. Even if the score didn’t necessarily indicate as much.
This time around, the Broncos looked closer to the Super Bowl contender many expect them to be. The Raiders looked like a team full of players who have six more game checks to collect before they can go to Cancun. Save for Maxx Crosby, who played with his usual fire.
On their first possession of the second half, the Broncos put together their second nine-minute touchdown drive of the day to officially sink the dagger. Bo Nix led the Broncos offense 91 yards down the field in 14 plays en route to a three-yard RJ Harvey touchdown that put the Broncos ahead 21-7. The first nine-minute touchdown drive technically only lasted 8:54, but it occurred on the opening possession of the game and set the tone for the proceedings all the same.
Despite entering with little reason to be confident against one of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Raiders did manage to keep the game tied for a chunk of the first half, but 48-yard punt return by wide receiver Denzel Mims with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter sent the Broncos to halftime with a 14-7 lead.
The difference between this loss and just about all of the others the Raiders have suffered this season is that most members of Raider Nation weren’t too upset watching it. Why is that? Because in Indianapolis last night, the entire country got another chance to fall in love with the quarterback the Raiders can now hone in on with a top selection in June’s NFL Draft.
With Pro Bowl-level arm talent, a 6’5 frame and processing ability that goes far beyond his 22 years of age, Mendoza is the type of quarterback that can develop into a modern Peyton Manning archetype. Maybe not a four-time MVP and a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but the type of quarterback you can trust to elevate a team beyond its means because of their ability to dissect a defense.
In an NFL where it seems incoming quarterbacks (and even Pro Bowlers) are more reliant on physical traits than on mental, there are few prospects as adequately prepared to deal with the mental rigors that comes with not just playing quarterback in the NFL, but playing quarterback in the NFL for a franchise like the Raiders that has high demands and has done little to back up those demands in recent years.
We’ve seen how quickly the right combination of coach and quarterback can turn a franchise from a laughingstock to a legitimate championship contender. The coach is something that will likely be addressed this offseason. The future at quarterback is something that needs to be, too.