Fernando Mendoza’s final preseason outing did not go the way the Las Vegas Raiders wanted, but head coach Klint Kubiak did not see his rookie quarterback’s interception as a straightforward mistake; instead, Kubiak put some of the blame on wide receiver Jalen Nailor during his post-game press conference.

“I thought that was an excellent throw,” Kubiak said, according to the team. He [Mendoza] ripped it, just like we asked him to, on time. Yeah, it was a little bit high. Jalen’s gotta make a play.”

The play came during Mendoza’s time on the field after quarterback Kirk Cousins opened the game for Las Vegas. Mendoza looked toward Nailor and delivered the pass into traffic, but the ball went high. It bounced off Nailor’s hands and landed in Taylor Bethune’s grasp, who ran for 16 yards.

Mendoza finished the preseason with 240 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He went 7-of-14 for 57 yards with one pick in the 49ers game, but Kubiak saw more in the play than the final numbers suggest. For the rookie, those preseason reps were also valuable as he continues adjusting to the speed and pressure of NFL defenses. After all, he didn’t get many first-team reps in training camp this season. Kubiak had him on second-team mostly, where the quarterback had begun to develop some confidence.

“It’s the NFL, there are monsters on the other side of the ball and you need to get the ball out quick,” Mendoza said after the game. “It teaches you, you need to play on time, and there’s less margin for error. So I think it’s a great experience having that heat and duress because diamonds are built under pressure.”

Nailor was not an uninvolved target on the night. The Raiders had him working with Mendoza as part of the offense, and the two connected for a six-yard gain on Mendoza’s first completion. He finished with two catches for 13 yards.

The Raiders’ offense struggled throughout the finale, failing to score a touchdown in an 18-12 loss to San Francisco. The 49ers got all 18 points from placekicker Eddy Piñeiro, who made all six of his field-goal attempts, while Las Vegas kicker Matt Gay went 4-for-5. Cousins played the opening two drives and completed 8 of 11 passes for 51 yards, with both possessions ending in field goals.

With the preseason wrapped up, the Raiders now have to make their final calls before opening the season against the Miami Dolphins on September 13. For players fighting for roster spots, there is not much time left to make an impression.

Mendoza took the statistical hit, but his coach saw the play differently, making it clear that Nailor had a chance to change the outcome. It was a revealing look at how Kubiak evaluates execution beyond what appears in the box score.