Hezekiah Masses has been named the Week 2 AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The rookie cornerback totaled five tackles (four solo) and added one tackle for loss, two interceptions and two passes deflections in the Raiders' 26-14 win over the Chargers.
He is the seventh rookie in Raiders history to record two interceptions in a game and the first since Henry Williams in 1979. Masses also became the ninth rookie in the NFL drafted in the fifth round or later since 2016 to record a tackle for loss and an interception in the first half of a single game.
"It was definitely a big moment," he said of his first two career interceptions. "I couldn't even sleep last night, man, I was like, 'I can't let my team down.' I knew they were going to try to come at me being a rookie and I just had to make plays on the ball."
In 26 coverage snaps against the Chargers, he allowed just two catches and 16 yards on six targets while also holding Los Angeles' starting receivers Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey to zero receptions in the 11 snaps he lined up against them. It was his first career start, filling in for an injured Darien Porter.
"I don't really look at depth charts," Masses said. "It's just, whenever I have the opportunity, I'm just trying to make plays. Whenever they call 35 out there, I'm just trying to make plays."
Masses is the first Raiders rookie to win AFC Defensive Player of the Week since his teammate Maxx Crosby won for his Week 11 performance during the 2019 season.
