No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza throws TD pass in preseason debut for Raiders in 27-14 loss to Cardinals

LAS VEGAS (AP) — No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut for the Las Vegas Raiders in a 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.

The Heisman Trophy winner led one touchdown drive for the Raiders (0-1) in four series — not including a kneel-down at the end of the first half — and finished 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a 6-yard TD pass to Jack Bech.

“I thought he led a good scoring drive as far as getting in and out of the huddle and commanding the group and getting the play calls down,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said. “I saw the same guy that we’ve seen in practice. I see an ascending player.”

Mendoza was more critical in his self-evaluation.

“Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today,” Mendoza said. “But it's a growing experience, and I feel like we're all growing. It showed me that I need to grow a lot.”

Mendoza became the first top overall draft selection to throw a touchdown pass in his first preseason game since 2018, when Baker Mayfield had two for Cleveland against the New York Giants.

Mendoza just missed a second touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, throwing beyond the reach of Deven Thompkins. He was sharp at times, threading a 19-yard pass in the second quarter between three defenders to fellow rookie Malik Benson.

While noting that everything came together on that play, including his timing with the receiver, Mendoza said some of his throws were a bit off.

“There's other passes I made that did not have great timing and anticipation,” Mendoza said. “But that was one that was a good connection. You see (starter) Kirk (Cousins) is timing and anticipation — boom, boom, boom. So that's an area I've got to grow in.”

The expected rematch of college football national championship quarterbacks didn't happen because the Cardinals (1-1) decided not to play Carson Beck, who has sore ribs. Mendoza led Indiana to a 27-21 victory over Beck and Miami in the title game in January.

“Being the preseason, we just didn't want to risk it,” Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said. “It was kind of a bummer for our fan base and (media) and me and all us because we want to see these guys out there.”

Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby also did not play, which wasn't completely unexpected after Kubiak said Tuesday that his playing status was to be determined. Crosby, who underwent knee surgery in January, has participated in training camp.

Teammate Jermod McCoy, who hasn't played in nearly two years because of a torn ACL, played with the second-team defense at cornerback. He was the primary defender on two Cardinals touchdowns.

Each team's starting quarterback played one series, both resulting in touchdowns.

Las Vegas' Cousins was 5 of 6 for 50 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer. Arizona's Jacoby Brissett completed all five passes for 44 yards and a 7-yard TD to Marvin Harrison Jr.

Brissett and former Raider Gardner Minshew combined to go 15 of 15 for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to build a 21-14 lead. That string of completions extended 16 early in the second half before Minshew finally threw an incomplete pass on a rollout to the right.

Rookie Jeremiyah Love, drafted third overall by the Cardinals, made his preseason debut and rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries.

Cardinals: Rookie right guard Chase Bisontis, who was drafted in the second round, injured his left knee. LaFleur said the injury appears serious. ... LaFleur said he didn't think Love's ankle injury was a major concern.

Cardinals: Host Dallas on Aug. 22.

Raiders: At Houston next Thursday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) hands the ball off to Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza warms up on the field during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett looks to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) pauses on the field during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

TOKYO (AP) — Record-breaking rainfall that pounded cities east of Tokyo overnight flooded roads and dozens of homes, stranded thousands of people, caused power outages and left at least four people dead and one missing.

The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe warning for heavy rain in more than a dozen municipalities in Chiba prefecture as rain subsided Friday morning but forecast more rain later in the day.

Photos and television footage showed widespread damage after daylight, with homes, cars and parts of railway tracks flooded with muddy water.

The Ground Self-Defense Force said it dispatched buses to pick up about 4,000 stranded people who stayed overnight at the Soga train station, a local route that also serves Tokyo Disney. The theme park did not report any damage.

Thousands more people were stuck overnight at the Narita airport serving the Tokyo region, with trains out of the area stopped. Services partially resumed Friday morning with delays, while flights in and out of Narita were operating normally Friday, with many people returning home at the end of Japan's Bon Buddhist holiday week. Hundreds of people took shelter overnight at the Chiba prefectural government building.

The prefecture said four people were found dead and another person was missing. The victims included a man found floating on a flooded road in Ichikawa city and a woman who had been stuck in a flooded car in Sakura city. Another person pulled from a flooded car in Kashiwa city was presumed dead.

More than 80 homes were flooded in the prefecture and nearly 230,000 residents across the prefecture were advised to take shelter, Chiba officials said.

The torrential rain and flooding also knocked out power to about 23,000 homes Friday morning, down from 68,000 earlier, according to the TEPCO Power Grid.

Record-breaking rainfall of 11.5 centimeters (4.5 inches) fell in just one hour in Chiba City and 9.7 centimeters (3.8 inches) fell in one hour in Sakura, which was also a record. JMA forecast official Takuya Hosomi told a televised emergency news conference that unprecedented levels of rainfall were recorded.

Follow AP’s Asia coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

Cars make their way through flooded road after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Torrential rain floods a road, causing a car to stall, in Ichikawa, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Kyodo News via AP)

This aerial photo shows submerged cars after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Cars make their way through flooded road after heavy rain in Oamishirasato, Chiba prefecture, Japan, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Kota Endo/Kyodo News via AP)

Record-breaking torrential rain floods a road, causing a car to stall, in Ichikawa, Chiba prefecture, Japan, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)