New Raiders Rumors on Kirk Cousins 'Blame' and Fernando Mendoza QB1 Status Ahead of Trade Deadline

With their losing streak at four games, the Las Vegas Raiders have every intention of sticking with Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday the Raiders "don't believe he is to blame for their recent struggles after a 3-0 start."

Las Vegas' schedule is a contributing factor as well, per Schefter. The team plays the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in succession. All three all rank in the top 10 in yards allowed so far.

Cousins has thrown for 1,877 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions through seven starts. His 57.1 QBR ranks 21st among qualified quarterbacks, per ESPN.com.

Las Vegas' downturn isn't reflective of the 38-year-old's performance under center. He has averaged 304 yards per contest over the past four weeks.

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Cousins hasn't done anything to merit a benching. However, the calls to make a change at QB are going to grow louder if the defeats continue to pile up.

Cousins knew the situation he was walking into when he signed with Las Vegas. The draft hadn't happened yet, but Fernando Mendoza's arrival was a fait accompli.

The Raiders spent the second-largest amount in free agency this past offseason, so it stood to reason they're trying to win games while looking toward the future. With that kind of short-term plan in mind, opening with Cousins as QB1 was understandable.

Persisting with that strategy has diminishing returns if Vegas isn't winning.

ESPN's Ryan McFadden suggested that "the best-case scenario is Mendoza starting after the bye week," which falls in Week 13.

Making the switch then would allow for Mendoza to have extra time to prepare. The schedule from Week 14 on also looks pretty favorable. The Raiders play the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals before closing with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Realistically, it could be another month before there's a likelihood of Mendoza finally getting the keys to the offense.