The Seattle Seahawks may have just avoided another upset loss in Week 10 after their next opponent, the Las Vegas Raiders, shipped out their starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, one of the NFL's leaders in passing yards and second-best in touchdowns thrown.
Say what you want about Cousins as a playoff quarterback, but in the regular season, he's consistently been excellent, and the Seahawks were on the verge of facing him. Instead, thanks to Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, or Kevin O'Connell, depending on how you look at it, Seattle's defense will face rookie Fernando Mendoza.
The college championship quarterback will start in his first NFL game; luckily for him, it's at home, and not on the road in one of the league's loudest and most daunting stadiums. On the road, the Seahawks defense, which has struggled mightily defending the red zone, must find a way to make Mendoza's debut start one to learn from, and there are three keys to making it so.
The Seattle Seahawks must lean in on what's working the best, and hone in on what's not
1. Pressure Mendoza early and often
What most rookie quarterbacks struggle with most is staying cool and calm in the firestorm. The Seahawks' defense can conjure one of the most vicious firestorms in the NFL, and the pressure they heap on Mendoza can change everything.
Mendoza has thrown just eight regular-season passes and threw two interceptions in a mixed-bag preseason. Forcing him off his spot will test how he handles disguised blitzes and real-time pocket pressure, something Seattle's defense does so well.
2. Take away a rookie QB's best friend
This one might be too easy, given Ashton Jeanty's lack of production this season and Seattle's fourth-ranked rushing defense. One will give, and unfortunately for Mendoza, Jeanty has shown he could be him.
The Seahawks have not allowed any single opposing running back to reach 100 yards yet, and are riding a 37-game streak dating back to October 27, 2024. Remarkably, simply remarkable. Jeanty hasn't hit that mark since Week 1, so the forecast appears sunny for Seattle's defense. Shut down the Raiders' run game; make Mendoza throw.
3. Take away the Raider's best weapon
Brock Bowers may be the NFL's best tight end this season, and the Raiders might have the best tight-end duo to boot—Michael Mayer is legitimate. Bowers, the Raiders' best offensive weapon, leads the league in receiving yards at tight end; he was Cousins' go-to, and now he'll be Mendoza's.
If the Seahawks' secondary can make Bowers ineffective, it will force Mendoza to look to a thin, unproven wideout group featuring Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor. On the flip side, given the Raiders' lack of wide receiver talent, Seattle could focus on completely shutting them out and make Bowers beat them, and it still likely won't be enough for Mendoza.
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