In a league that rushes young quarterbacks onto the field, the Raiders opted for a more patient approach with Fernando Mendoza, ensuring he was fully acclimated to the pro game and ready to handle the rigor and responsibilities of QB1 before handing him the ball as the starter. Although the "redshirt" program is no longer popular in the NFL, the quarterback development plan that soft-launched the Hall of Fame-worthy careers of Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes has also helped develop several Pro Bowl-caliber starters across the league, including Jordan Love and Brock Purdy.

With redshirt quarterbacks quietly developing on the practice field and out of the spotlight, they can master the playbook and refine their footwork and fundamentals without worrying about the scoreboard or the pressure to turn around a franchise quickly. While coaches love monitoring the progress of their young field generals by rewatching practice tapes, nothing beats seeing a future QB1 in a regular-season game to see how he performs against an opponent.

Moreover, the coaches get a chance to see whether the young quarterback can take what he has learned in the classroom and on the practice field and apply it effectively in a game against an aggressive defense in a competitive environment.

Against the New England Patriots, Mendoza had a chance to update Klint Kubiak and Co. on his progress by playing the final minutes of a blowout loss. Although the circumstances weren't ideal, the No. 1 overall pick got to face a high-level defense with a track record of forcing quarterbacks into miserable days.

Studying the All-22 coaches' footage from Mendoza's limited work, he didn't look out of place completing 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards against a mixture of starters and backups. Facing a "two-high shell" coverage with the defensive backs intent on taking away deep passes, Mendoza operated in "dink-and-dunk" mode, routinely finding the checkdown option within the progression to keep the chains moving. By dumping the ball off the running backs, tight ends, and receivers underneath the blanket coverage, he kept the offense on schedule and advanced the ball down the field during his 10-play sequence.

Mendoza's patient, disciplined approach didn't keep him from ripping the ball downfield on deep curls (Tre Tucker 16-yard completion) when he spotted open windows in the Patriots' soft coverage. The flawless execution of "catch and fire" concepts bodes well for a young quarterback mastering the nuances of the playbook and call sheet.

The first-year player looked composed and comfortable operating within a collapsing pocket. He made a nifty scramble toss to Dylan Laube for a first down, then followed it with a dart to Malik Benson on a quick out against tight boundary coverage. Although the pass to Benson was ruled incomplete, the quarterback's rhythm, ball placement and overall confidence in making a tight-window throw were impressive.

On the final two plays of the drive, the Patriots' Cover-0 blitz overwhelmed Mendoza, forcing an errant throw on third down and an unsuccessful scramble on fourth down. With the No. 1 overall pick and the rest of the offense flustered by the heavy pressure, Mendoza can expect more opponents to blitz him relentlessly if he gets another chance to play in the regular season.

Overall, Mendoza's debut showed improvement from his preseason play, which is exactly what the Silver and Black wants to see from its future franchise quarterback. With more time to review, reflect and work on his weaknesses after getting a taste of live action in Week 5, Mendoza should be better prepared for his next assignment down the road.