Time For The New Era: Kirk Cousins Is Talking Like He's About To Get Benched For Fernando Mendoza, Doesn't Care Because He Just Wants To Win

The Raiders were the fun frisky team early on in the year when they were winning games. But when you looked at their schedule you had to know this was going to happen. They've lost 4 straight. It's not even like they look bad or anything, they just aren't good enough to keep winning games. Part of it is the red zone like Kubiak says, but the defense is also a mess. 

So now we're starting to get the 'Fernando time' talk. I mean that was always a guarantee to happen when you have the No. 1 overall pick. People want to see these guys all the time. Doesn't help when there's a bunch of young guys in the league having success in year 2 and 3. But I actually gotta give Kirk Cousins credit here. This is what he said: 

He knows he's not the future. He's been around the league long enough, has gotten benched before and just being a mentor. He answered this 100% right. He knows his role and that's to teach Fernando Mendoza about life in the NFL. Just get him ready to win games in year 2. 

I also don't know how we got to this point where year 1 quarterbacks HAVE to play right away. Sure, there are times it's needed and typically for the No. 1 overall pick. But we also have plenty of proof that essentially redshirting year 1 works out too. Not everyone is Mahomes, Rodgers, etc. But you can do it. You don't have to play these young guys and get them ruined because it's a bad team playing a brutal schedule. 

The one nice thing here is the Raiders get the Jets for their next game. That might be the perfect landing spot to start a rookie. But after that? 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos. Good luck with that. All I know is this sounds like the passing of a torch. This sounds like it's about to be Mendzoa time in Vegas.