Fernando Mendoza’s first regular-season NFL appearance came October 11 in a difficult setting: New England, rain and a Raiders team already down by four scores. Raiders.com reported that the rookie entered with 6:06 remaining, completed six of eight passes for 48 yards and moved the offense to the Patriots’ 14-yard line before the game ended. Coach Klint Kubiak called the series useful exposure rather than a permanent change at quarterback. The debut does not settle Mendoza’s place in the lineup. It does give the No. 1 pick a small piece of game tape, and it gives Latino Raiders fans a concrete first regular-season marker after the club’s earlier account of his Cuban family roots and the history he says he carries.