COUSINS THROWS 11 TOUCHDOWNS IN FOUR GAMES FOR RAIDERS

Kirk Cousins has thrown 11 touchdown passes in his first four games as the Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback, according to NBC Sports, tying him with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for the most in the NFL this season. NBC Sports reported that if Cousins throws three more touchdown passes on Sunday against the New England Patriots, he would reach 14 touchdown passes in his first five games for a franchise. NBC Sports research found only two quarterbacks have previously achieved that mark: Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs and Kurt Warner with the then-St Louis Rams. Both players went on to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award in the seasons they hit that total, NBC Sports said. Cousins is playing for his fourth NFL team since moving to the Raiders.

NBC Sports noted that a strong campaign could put Cousins into contention for the MVP award, which would make him the second quarterback in consecutive years to win the honour for the first time at an advanced age, following Matthew Stafford's win the previous season. The Raiders' meeting with the Patriots comes a week after the team suffered its first defeat of the season, according to NBC Sports. Separately, Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports reported that rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders' number one overall draft pick, made his NFL debut during that defeat to the Patriots once the result was no longer in doubt. Yahoo Sports said Mendoza performed solidly in that limited appearance.

NBC Sports reported that Cousins' starting role with the Raiders remains unaffected by Mendoza's debut, despite the rookie's performance drawing attention from other outlets. The outcome of Sunday's game against the Patriots will determine whether Cousins can maintain his touchdown pace and build toward the five-game benchmark set by Mahomes and Warner. No further fixtures beyond Sunday's match were confirmed in the reporting.