The Raiders entered Sunday’s matchup against the Chargers without starting cornerback Darien Porter.

By the end of the afternoon, they may have discovered another major piece of their secondary.

Rookie cornerback Hezekiah “Zeke” Masses made his first NFL start and responded with two interceptions of Justin Herbert, playing a major role in the Raiders’ 26-14 road win over Los Angeles. Las Vegas improved to 2-0 with the victory, its first 2-0 start since 2021.

For a fifth-round rookie stepping into the lineup against one of the AFC’s most established quarterbacks, it was about as impressive of a first start as the Raiders could have hoped for.

Masses Was Thrown Directly Into the Fire

With Porter unavailable because of a foot injury, Masses was given the start in the Raiders secondary.

There was little reason to expect the Chargers to avoid him.

Masses told the Raiders afterward that he anticipated being tested because of his status as a rookie, and Justin Herbert repeatedly looked in his direction. Instead of becoming a weakness Los Angeles could exploit, Masses turned those opportunities into one of the defining performances of the game.

His first interception came after a pass intended for David Njoku was bobbled, giving Masses an opportunity to secure the turnover.

Then, late in the fourth quarter, Masses did it again.

With the Chargers attempting to claw their way back into the game, Masses jumped in front of Derius Davis and intercepted Herbert for a second time, helping shut down any realistic chance of a Los Angeles comeback. The Raiders later released the highlight of the play, which showed Masses reading Herbert and breaking on the ball.

Two interceptions in your first NFL start is impressive under any circumstances.

Doing it against Justin Herbert in an AFC West road game is something else entirely.

The Numbers Were Even Better Than the Highlights

The two interceptions will naturally receive most of the attention, but Masses’ overall coverage performance was arguably just as encouraging.

According to the Raiders, Masses was targeted six times across 26 coverage snaps and allowed just two catches for 16 yards.

That means Herbert continued testing the rookie throughout the afternoon and rarely found success doing it.

Masses finished the day with:

• 2 interceptions
• 6 targets
• 2 receptions allowed
• 16 receiving yards allowed
• 26 coverage snaps

The performance was good enough for Masses to receive a game ball afterward.

For a Raiders defense that has spent years searching for consistency in the secondary, that is an extremely promising first impression.

Masses Made Raiders History

The performance also placed Masses in rare company.

According to the Raiders, he became the franchise’s first rookie to record multiple interceptions in a game since Henry Williams nearly five decades ago.

That historical context makes the performance even more notable.

Rookie cornerbacks are often targeted aggressively because quarterbacks know they lack NFL experience. Masses faced exactly that situation Sunday and responded by taking the football away twice.

The Raiders did not simply survive with their rookie cornerback on the field.

They benefited because he was there.

The Raiders Defense Continues to Look Different

Masses was not operating alone.

The Raiders defense once again created pressure and forced mistakes, limiting Herbert to 192 passing yards while producing multiple turnovers in the 26-14 victory.

It continued an encouraging start for a defensive unit that also recorded five sacks and forced two turnovers against Miami in Week 1.

Through two games, Las Vegas has shown an ability to make quarterbacks uncomfortable and capitalize when opportunities appear.

Masses’ emergence only makes that group more interesting.

The Raiders entered the season expecting Porter to play an important role at cornerback. If Masses can continue performing anywhere near this level once Porter returns, Las Vegas could suddenly have more legitimate depth in the secondary than initially expected.

That would be a major development for a team hoping to compete in an AFC West filled with talented quarterbacks.

One Game Does Not Make a Career

There should obviously be some restraint after one performance.

NFL offenses now have film on Masses. Future opponents will study his tendencies, test his technique and force him to prove that Sunday was more than one exceptional afternoon.

That is part of the challenge every young player eventually faces.

But there is a significant difference between saying Masses has already established himself as a long-term starter and acknowledging what he accomplished against Los Angeles.

His first NFL start could hardly have gone much better.

He stepped into the lineup on the road, faced one of the league’s most talented quarterbacks, was targeted repeatedly and finished the afternoon with two interceptions while allowing only 16 receiving yards.

For a fifth-round rookie, that is one hell of an introduction.

A New Name for Raider Nation to Watch

The biggest story coming out of Sunday will understandably be the Raiders improving to 2-0.

Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns. Tre Tucker went over 100 receiving yards. The defense continued its impressive start.

But somewhere within all of that, the Raiders may have uncovered another important young player.

Hezekiah Masses entered Sunday as a rookie filling in for an injured starter.

He left SoFi Stadium as one of the biggest reasons the Raiders won the game.

Now comes the interesting part.

Can he do it again?

For now, Raider Nation has another name worth remembering.

Hezekiah “Zeke” Masses has officially arrived.