Yahoo Fantasy Football on Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza's second consecutive interception and uneven play likely cost him the starting job.

Mendoza's preseason finale was considerably more uneven than Cousins'. The rookie was intercepted for the second consecutive game, sailing a pass to Jalen Nailor over the middle that glanced off Nailor's hands into 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune's arms. Though the offensive line offered little protection—Mendoza was sacked twice in the second half and spent much of the night throwing with defenders closing around him—his ragged first-half numbers (5-of-9 passing for 38 yards) and final line (7-of-14 passing for 57 yards) underscore that he remains a rookie navigating mistakes and growing pains. The source concludes that while Thursday night did not reveal which quarterback has the brighter future, it may have confirmed that Cousins is better prepared for the present, and Mendoza technically remains in the running to start the season opener only until coach Klint Kubiak makes an official declaration.

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