Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses had a pretty good game against the Chargers, and he's getting recognition.
The Las Vegas Raiders are doing a complete roster rebuild, which means plenty of young players are getting big opportunities. Cornerback Hezekiah Masses capitalized on his in a big way against the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday, and as a result he’s been named Rookie of the Week and AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Masses had a good camp, but it seemed obvious initially that the Raiders were hesitant to start a rookie in their revamped secondary. But incumbent corner Darien Porter struggled in camp and then got hurt, and Masses grabbed the opportunity and ran with it.
The Raiders have to be happy with the results so far. Masses earned the rookie award via a fan vote, and he was one of four nominees alongside Denver Broncos RB Jonah Coleman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Josiah Trotter and Cleveland Browns WR Denzel Boston, per Rachel Gossen of Raiders.com.
Masses’ stat line included five tackles, four of which were solo, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and two passes deflections. According to the writer, he became the seventh rookie in Raiders history to record two interceptions in a game and the first since Henry Williams performed the feat in 1979.
Coach Klint Kubiak praised Masses for his combination of confidence and coachability, and he also noted the attention Masses will be getting now that he’s done this once.
Masses has been targeted seven times so far, and he’s allowed just two receptions for 16 yards to go with two interceptions and three passes defended. He’s in good company with cornerback Trent McDuffie of the Los Angeles Rams as one of just two cornerbacks to have held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 0.0.
The AFC Defensive Player of the Week Award might be even more noteworthy. Masses is the first Raider rookie to get the honor since Maxx Crosby first hit the NFL back in 2019, so he’s in good company there as well.
The Raiders were hoping that fellow rookie Jermod McCoy would emerge as their starting corner after being rated a first-round talent, but instead it’s Masses who’s showing out. It’s a good problem to have given that Las Vegas is already strong at the other corner with Eric Stokes, who was signed to an extension during the offseason.
Both corners will face a serious challenge from Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in the Raiders' Week 3 matchup.
