Las Vegas Raiders quarterback’s coach Mike Sullivan on Fernando Mendoza’s growth, preseason expectations, and the handwritten notes fueling his development.
Sullivan spoke at length this weekend about preseason expectations for Mendoza, framing the exhibition schedule as another data point in a longer developmental arc rather than a single evaluative moment.
On what he specifically wants to see from Mendoza in preseason action, Sullivan described an open-ended, continuous standard rather than a fixed checklist. “Can he take that next step? Can he continue to advance and play with that level of confidence and conviction and play fast and execute?” Sullivan said. He acknowledged the pursuit has no real finish line. “We’re constantly going to be trying to reach perfection, even though it might not be attainable. We’re going to do our damnedest to try to reach it.”
When asked about Mendoza’s up-and-down practices that tend to end on a high note, Sullivan reached for the two-minute drill to explain how he thinks about pressure and composure. His point was simple: whatever happened earlier doesn’t matter once the game is on the line. “Regardless of what’s happened prior to that two-minute drill, good or bad, it’s irrelevant,” Sullivan said. “We’ve got to perform and train that way, get that callous, and get that hardness so that when called upon on a Sunday, we’re able to perform.” He also brought up the heat and fatigue that creep in late in practice, another layer of pressure the two-minute drills are designed to simulate.
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Sullivan then turned to Mendoza’s off-field habits. He described a rookie who documented every throw from OTAs by hand. That included footwork notes and self-critique on each play.
“He’s someone who really loves the process,” Sullivan said. He added, with some humor, that he’d suggested Mendoza consider typing the notes going forward, given his penmanship.
On how uncommon that level of self-study is among quarterbacks, Sullivan called it a defining trait of the position’s most accomplished players. “There’s talent and there’s no disputing that,” he said. “But to really continue to press, to continue to work, to improve, to never be satisfied is a benefit to a quarterback.” He noted the goal is for practice to feel harder than games themselves.
Collectively, Sullivan’s remarks depict a coaching staff evaluating Mendoza on process and preparation as much as raw output. Preseason, in that light, is a proving ground for habits already being reinforced daily.
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*Top Photo: Courtesy of NFL.com