HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — A bridge quarterback, a placeholder, a mentor.
Kirk Cousins was described those ways as fans of the Raiders specifically and the NFL in general talked openly about when No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza would take over.
asserted
pick → describe → Raiders
Nine touchdown passes and three victories later, Cousins has gone from looking like a temporary occupant to one who might hold down Las Vegas’ QB position for some time while Mendoza continues to develop.
uncertain
Mendoza → go → time
That is, as long as Cousins continues to produce at a high level for the undefeated Raiders, who host Kansas City (3-0) on Sunday.
asserted
who → continue → Sunday
“That’s the great part about this league is you’ve got to go out every single week and prove it to yourself, prove it to everyone else,” Cousins said.
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Cousins → ’ → everyone
“So I’ve never really felt like anything was going to be handed to me or given to me.
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anything → feel → me
You got to go out and play at that level, and I think the opportunity was what I was more interested in, was just having an opportunity to go see.
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I → got → opportunity
But you got to go do it.”
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you → get → it
He threw three touchdown passes in each of his first three games, against Miami, the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans.
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He → throw → Miami
That has him tied for the NFL lead in TD tosses with San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, and he has the most in the first three games of a season for any Raiders quarterback.
asserted
he → have → quarterback
Cousins also is completing 67.4% of his passes and has a 107.2 passer rating.
asserted
Cousins → complete → rating
Going back to last season with Atlanta, Cousins has won seven games in a row, the league’s longest active streak.
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Cousins → go → row
Should the Raiders, 5 1/2-point underdogs, beat the Chiefs, Cousins would become the first quarterback since the 1970 merger to win four consecutive games for two teams in the same streak.
asserted
Cousins → beat → streak
“He’s been a joy to play with,” center Tyler Linderbaum said.
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Linderbaum → play → ?
“He is a competitor, wants to win, will do anything that it takes to win.
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it → want → that
You want to play for a guy like that.”
asserted
You → want → that
Linderbaum signed the most lucrative deal for an interior offensive lineman in league history, a three-year, $81 million contract with $60 million guaranteed.
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Linderbaum → sign → million
The Raiders didn’t have to pay as much to get Cousins, who signed a two-year deal with $20 million guaranteed and the Falcons paying $8.7 million of it.
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Falcons → have → it
Cousins from the beginning was looked at outside the Raiders facility as a placeholder until Mendoza is ready.
asserted
Mendoza → look → placeholder
The 38-year-old veteran outplayed the rookie in training camp to earn the starting spot.
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veteran → outplay → spot
Some national pundits argued that the Raiders should go with Mendoza anyway, even if it meant going through some growing pains.
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it → argue → pains
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak stayed true to his word that the better quarterback would play.
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quarterback → stay → word
With Cousins remaining that QB, does that give Kubiak and the staff more room to be patient with Mendoza?
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that → remain → Mendoza
“We’re just worried about playing the next game, and (Cousins is) playing this next game,” Kubiak said.
asserted
Kubiak → ’re → game
“Fernando’s ready to go when called upon.”
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Fernando → ’ → ?
Kubiak and Cousins have a working relationship that began well before this season.
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that → have → season
“I just appreciate (his) organizational skills, but also the desire to continuously improve,” Cousins said of Kubiak.
asserted
Cousins → appreciate → Kubiak
“He doesn’t allow the outcome of a win to cause him to let his guard down on things that need to be coached hard, and that’s comforting for me because I love kind of feeling like nothing’s going to get past his watchful eye.
asserted
nothing → allow → eye
“So I think there’s a kindred spirit there from a continuous improvement mindset, and that gives me peace.”
asserted
that → think → peace
Injury update
Safety Treydan Stukes (concussion) practiced in full Wednesday, but right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (groin) did not work out.
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Johnson → practice → update
Kubiak said he hoped backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell, whose father died last week, would return by the end of the week.
asserted
father → say → week
The Aporia
