All eyes were on Fernando Mendoza as he made his NFL preseason debut vs the Arizona Cardinals. The rookie Raiders quarterback flashed potential, but the mistakes were just as visible. Mendoza took the blame for his failures when he analyzed his performance.

“The first series I felt a little sped up, so it was good to come back on the sideline, learn from my mistakes,” Mendoza said in the postgame presser, via Vegas Sports Today. “… Third series, you know, I missed a read there, and the fourth series I thought we had a good thing going, but unfortunately I missed a throw at the end. And then overall, I felt that the group that I was in with, they blocked fantastic, they had great routes, the run game was good, you know, and unfortunately, like, I let my teammates down today.

“But it’s, but it’s a growing experience, and you know, I feel like we’re all growing, and it showed me that I need to grow a lot.

Mendoza entered the game after veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins led the Raiders on a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive on the opening series. Mendoza then played the next four series, but only his second series ended in points. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jack Bech, with a little over three minutes left for halftime. He was also sacked two plays before the pass.

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A missed read led to a punt on series three; on series four, he overthrew on fourth down, squandering a scoring chance. Mendoza finished 10-of-16 passes for 97 yards.

Head coach Klint Kubiak highlighted Mendoza’s strengths.

“You know, I thought he had a good scoring drive,” Kubiak said after the game. “As far as getting in and out of the huddle, commanding the groove, and getting play calls down. I see the same guy I’ve seen in practice. I see an ascending player.”

Mendoza’s offseason has been rocky so far. He was reported to be inconsistent in OTAs, and there were some struggles in training camp, too. According to The Athletic’s Sam Warren, Mendoza underthrew a touchdown-worthy pass to Malik Benson, but it led to an interception. The QB was picked off once again that day.

“I feel more comfortable, but I am nowhere near where I need to be, he said last month.

The Raiders staff has noted his improvement, especially how he took command of the second-team offense in practices. However, there is still a long way to go before Mendoza becomes the player Las Vegas wants him to be.