The NFL's New Guard: Promising Signs and Troubling Trends in Week 1 The first week of the 2026 NFL preseason offered a glimpse into the future as rookies took their debut performances.
Amidst the excitement, some worrying trends emerged. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza impressed with his resilience under pressure, but struggled against the pass rush.
He completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards while being pressured on nearly 40% of dropbacks. Despite this, he showed promise in bouncing back from a shaky first drive.