If Fernando Mendoza felt like he was on top of the world with his standout performance in his preseason debut last week, then the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback received a slice of humble pie on Thursday.Mendoza’s outing against the Texans highlighted another busy day of news across the NFL. The rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick played the entire first half of the Raiders’ win over the Texans, but had his fair share of struggles.Elsewhere, a San Francisco 49ers star received good news on the injury front, while the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints were disciplined for their several fights at Wednesday’s joint practice.Here’s what you need to know about what happened around the NFL on Thursday. Expectations were high when news broke that No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza would start Thursday night for the Las Vegas Raiders, but the former Indiana Hoosier quickly ran into trouble against the Houston Texans.Mendoza threw a pick-six on his third pass of the game. Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz jumped his pass over the middle, returning it 80 yards for a score.It set the tone for a relatively underwhelming night for Mendoza. He completed 8 of 16 passes for 86 yards, leading Las Vegas to just three points as he played the entirety of the first half. Aidan O’Connell had better luck against the Texans’ defense. The Raiders’ backup quarterback completed 15 of 24 passes as he led his team to a 22-20 comeback victory, erasing a 20-3 halftime deficit.There is a real scenario where San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle could return as early as the regular season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Kittle had a visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache that was “encouraging” on Wednesday, as it’s believed he’s ahead of schedule with his recovery from an Achilles tear he suffered in January, ESPN reported. Kittle hasn’t been a full participant in 49ers practice yet this training camp. However, he expressed optimism that he could return by the start of the regular season when he met with reporters earlier in the week. Despite missing time due to injuries he suffered prior to his Achilles tear, Kittle was efficient for the 49ers last year. In 11 games, he racked up 57 receptions, 628 yards and seven touchdowns. Adding Kittle back would be a positive development for San Francisco’s offense and quarterback Brock Purdy. The unit has already lost wide receiver Ricky Pearsall for the entirety of the season, causing them to sign veteran wide receiver Deebo…
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2026-08-21 05:40:08
