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The single constraint separating a productive college quarterback from an effective NFL starter is decision-window compression: professional defensive backs close passing lanes faster and track the ball with greater precision than anything a college read prepares a young passer for.
Las Vegas Raiders first overall pick Fernando Mendoza ran into that wall Thursday night against the Houston Texans, throwing an interception on his second pass attempt that linebacker Wade Woodaz returned 80 yards for a touchdown.
The play defined the arc of an uneven evening.
Mendoza finished 8 of 15 passing with a passer rating of 42.6, a steep step down from his debut the prior week against the Arizona Cardinals, where he went 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a touchdown without a turnover.
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