A week ago, Fernando Mendoza was the story of the Raiders camp. The Heisman Trophy winner, who had led Indiana to a national title in January, emerged as an ‘ascending’ leader in the eyes of Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak after their preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals last week. But just as Raiders fans began dreaming about his future as the next big quarterback, Mendoza got a reality check. Because Thursday night in Houston offered a much different lesson.

The 2026 No. 1 Draft pick struggled in his second preseason outing against the Houston Texans, completing 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards while taking a sack and throwing a costly interception from Houston’s 24-yard line that rival linebacker Wade Woodaz returned for an 80-yard touchdown. The turnover helped the Texans extend their lead to 0-14 in the first quarter, with around 1:50 remaining.

“The margins are so small,” Mendoza said post-game, via The Athletic. “One tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe. So I want to make sure that I best serve my teammates and get better from these experiences.”

It was a sharp contrast to Mendoza’s 6-yard touchdown pass against Arizona the previous week. However, the rookie held himself to a high standard after both games and did not shy away from admitting what went wrong. His biggest takeaway was how little room there is for error in the NFL.

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The interception that led to a pick-six stemmed from a clear error by Mendoza, who threw behind rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., which created a tiny breakdown that Woodaz exploited for the TD. But after the Raiders’ comeback to go from 3-20 to 22-20, HC Klint Kubiak put the situation as it was, affirming that Mendoza has a lot to learn, but nothing the coaching staff cannot help him with.

“I think it’s plenty to clean up, plenty to get better at,” said Kubiak. “Plenty that we can do better for him as coaches, and plenty that he can learn from.”

Clips of the interception went viral on social media, and it was the first lowlight of Mendoza’s NFL career, albeit in a preseason game. Though his six completions were sharp, there were missed chances involving rookie WR Malik Benson and a few others due to the Texans’ pressure.

“I came away with that there’s a lot more learning to do, and that although maybe you had a lot of success at another level, this level is a whole step further,” said Mendoza.

Raiders veteran Kirk Cousins, who had a great training camp, did not play on Thursday, allowing Mendoza to lead the offense. A day before the game, Cousins told Fox News that he had a “great working relationship” with the rookie, who is a “great worker.”

Mendoza, in his preseason debut against the Arizona Cardinals, had completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions. Unfortunately, the Raiders lost 14-27.

For coach Kubiak, the QB picture is still unclear, or at least, that is how he wants to present it as of now. On Friday, he refused to reveal whether Mendoza will start in Week 1. But with Cousins healthy and ready to roar, it seems unlikely Mendoza will start.

While Thursday had contrasting fortunes in store for Mendoza, there was another viral moment of his that took center stage, courtesy of his “refreshing personality” displayed during a mid-game interview.

Fernando Mendoza’s “Mr. Buck” Moment Goes Viral During Mid-Game Interview

During the fourth quarter of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 22-20 win over the Houston Texans, Fernando Mendoza joined ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge on the sidelines for an interview. ESPN’s veteran play-by-play announcer Joe Buck segued to the sideline interview, and shortly after, while concluding it, Mendoza politely asked Rutledge to greet Buck on his behalf.

“Please tell Mr. Buck I say hello,” he told Rutledge, with a salute while looking at the camera.

Rutledge then dragged fellow ESPN announcer Troy Aikman into the conversation, asking him to praise the legendary QB. While Mendoza acknowledged that Aikman is a “legend,” it was Buck who he felt needed more appreciation.

“Oh, of course, I mean, he’s (Aikman) a legend. I think Mr. Buck needs some love, because Mr. Aikman is already, you know,” said Mendoza.

The 22-year-old Raiders QB had a similar viral moment during the NFL Combine in February. He received a surprise FaceTime call from Tom Brady, the video of which was uploaded by the Raiders on Instagram in June.

“Oh shoot! What’s up, Mr. Brady? How you doing?” a surprised Mendoza said.

Brady was quick to dismiss the way Mendoza addressed him, saying, “You can call me Tom. Mr. Brady’s my dad.” But what came next was heartwarming. Brady commended Mendoza for doing a “great job” and encouraged him for the season ahead.

In the broader picture, Fernando Mendoza is making all the right noise. Mistakes like intercepted passes are just indicative of his inexperience in the NFL, and not defining incidents. The former Indiana college star will get another preseason chance against the San Francisco 49ers next Thursday before HC Kubiak decides whether he is good enough to start Week 1.