Fernando Mendoza got a quick taste of life in the NFL on Thursday night.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback threw his first interception as a pro against the Houston Texans, making the mistake less than seven minutes into just his second NFL game.
Mendoza came into the league with a strong college resume. During his Heisman-winning run at Indiana, he threw only six interceptions all season, with none of them being returned for a touchdown.
Against the Texans , though, that streak came to an end.
Fernando Mendoza. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Raiders were 7-0 behind when Mendoza faced the pressure. He tried to hit a short pass over the middle. Houston had the area covered.
Wade Woodaz read the throw perfectly. The Texans defender picked off Mendoza at the Houston 20-yard line and raced 80 yards for a touchdown. The play pushed Houston's lead to 14-0.
Everyone called it Mendoza's "Welcome to the NFL" scene.
"You not playing Purdue anymore buddy," one fan wrote on X.
Another fan criticized Mendoza for ignoring an open checkdown.
"Bro stared down his checkdown that was wide open then decided to sling that (expletive) to the middle….." the user wrote.
A third fan focused on the lesson Mendoza could take from the play.
"Late over the middle will usually result in a pick six…lesson learned. Next time don't try to make the pointless tackle….thats the next lesson," the fan wrote.
There were also questions on Mendoza's decision-making and ability to move beyond his first read.
Still, one bad throw does not tell the whole story of a young quarterback.
Mendoza finished the game 8-of-15 for 86 yards. He posted a 42.6 quarterback rating.
Quarterbacks have recovered from early pick-sixes before. Brett Favre, Sam Darnold, and Jameis Winston each threw a pick-six on their first regular-season NFL pass.
Mendoza now gets his own early career mistake. What matters next is how he responds.
The post Fernando Mendoza Handed His First 'Welcome To The NFL' Moment As Reality Sets In For Raiders Rookie [VIDEO] originally published on Total Pro Sports .
