QB Notebook: Fernando Mendoza stands out for the Raiders, while Bennett vs. Simpson draws attention

What happened this week for the Raiders is less about a single highlight and more about the direction of the quarterback discussion. In a FOX Sports “QB Notebook,” the author examined recent quarterbacking storylines from around the league, with a focus on the Raiders’ current pecking order. The central takeaway is straightforward: Fernando Mendoza is presented as the Raiders’ best quarterback option in the notebook’s evaluation.

The notebook’s lens matters because preseason quarterback decisions tend to ripple outward. Even when the games are primarily about development, the “best QB” label influences reps, offensive game-plan clarity, and how quickly a coordinator can trust timing and protection concepts. In that context, Mendoza being singled out as the top option suggests the Raiders’ offensive staff sees the clearest path to consistent command of the passing game.

Alongside Mendoza, the notebook also spotlights a secondary competition theme: what to make of “Bennett vs. Simpson.” Without the detailed play-by-play in the information available here, the most responsible framing is that this pairing is viewed as a meaningful contrast in style and effectiveness during the author’s film study. For fans, that typically translates into a practical question: which quarterback gives the offense the most stable results when the game shifts from early-stage experimentation to more structured execution.

The broader NFL reason this kind of “notebook” matters is that quarterback evaluation is rarely one-dimensional. It is usually a blend of decision-making, ball placement, pocket management, and how efficiently a QB converts coverage into completions. A film-focused report tends to emphasize repeatable traits over isolated moments, and that is exactly the kind of reasoning the FOX Sports notebook is built around, even as it still leaves the final verdict to actual roster reality once regular-season pressures arrive.

For the Raiders specifically, the immediate watch-list is simple. First, whether Mendoza’s advantages translate into clearer offensive rhythm when he is the primary driver. Second, how Bennett and Simpson respond to the same defensive looks and whether either can narrow the gap enough to change the staff’s confidence. Third, how the coaching staff structures run-pass balance and protection packages around whichever quarterback is most trusted on a given day, because those choices often reveal what coaches believe about readiness.