Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak revealed that Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, has had a significant impact on the team’s decisions as they approach a new season. This includes his recent choice to name Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback.
“We rely on him for various aspects,” said Kubiak. “I communicate with him multiple times per week, and he has been incredibly valuable for roster building, strategy, and team cohesion. He is an incredibly impressive resource.”
The selection of Cousins as the starting quarterback over No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza was not surprising, as the Raiders brought in the 15-year veteran to mentor Mendoza.
Brady’s Influence on Raiders
The Raiders will kick off the NFL season on Sept. 13 at home against the Miami Dolphins.
During his career with four different teams, including the Raiders, Cousins has amassed 44,700 passing yards and 298 touchdowns, with a quarterback rating of 96.8, considered above average but not elite.
“He performed exceptionally well,” stated Kubiak. “I am pleased with all three of our quarterbacks (Aidan O’Connell is third on the team’s depth chart behind Mendoza). Kirk has had an excellent off-season, a strong camp, and he has earned the position.”
Cousins Secures Starting Position
For Mendoza, the focus is on continuous development and learning by gaining first-team snaps in practice, which he did on Wednesday after Cousins got a day off.
“There’s early work, late work, additional meetings, ample time on the field with Coach Sullivan (Mike Sullivan, quarterbacks coach) and Coach Janocko (Andrew Janocko, offensive coordinator),” Kubiak explained. “We are exploring every avenue to improve him and his teammates.”
Mendoza featured in all three Raiders’ preseason games, completing 15 of 29 passes for 143 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns, resulting in a 37.0 RTG.
Mendoza’s Continued Progress
Kubiak also noted that having a top draft pick in camp, receiving first-team snaps, and playing in preseason games influenced Cousins positively and led to improved performance.
Another highlight from the Raiders’ camp was Kubiak’s optimism about running back Ashton Jeanty recovering from an ankle injury in time to play against Miami.
Rebels Aim for Hawaii Rebound
UNLV aims to level their record in a Mountain West conference game against Hawaii after starting their college football season with a 27-21 loss to Memphis on Aug. 29.
UNLV will be playing at Hawaii on Saturday (Sept. 5) at 10:10pm EST.
The Rebels entered the season with hopes of contending for the Mountain West title but struggled in their opening game, surrendering 13 unanswered fourth-quarter points and converting only three of 15 third downs.
New quarterback Jackson Arnold faced six sacks but showed promise by throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns, along with 54 rushing yards and another score.
UNLV now faces a 0-1 Hawaii team, providing an early test of their ability to address pass-protection, rushing, and red-zone issues.
Aces Dealing with Major Injury
During the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) World Cup break until Sept. 16, the Las Vegas Aces will return to face the Seattle Storm on Sept. 17.
This break allows coaches to assess the team, currently ranking third in the league at 27-13, having secured a playoff spot with four games remaining.
Starting forward NaLyssa Smith is out for the season after sustaining a left leg injury against Toronto. Smith led the WNBA in field goal percentage with 63.8%, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. The Aces signed Kalani Brown, a 6-foot-7 center, following Smith’s injury, providing more size and an additional interior option for the playoffs.
A’ja Wilson, named Western Conference Player of the Month for August, led Las Vegas with an average of 25 points and 8.8 rebounds over 11 games before the break started on Aug. 31.