Pro Football Focus Says Hezekiah Masses is Underperforming

Hezekiah Masses jumped on a floating pass from Saints’ quarterback Tyler Shough. His third interception of the season set the Raiders up for a fourth-quarter touchdown that helped Las Vegas reach 3-0 on the season. 

But Masses didn’t have a good game, at least according to Pro Football Focus. 

Masses was given the third-worst grade of Raiders defenders. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who played just three snaps, and defensive tackle Thomas Booker were his only teammates that performed worse. 

Coverage Struggles

Masses was dinged for his pass coverage against the Saints. Masses was targeted seven times and allowed four catches for a team-high 51 yards. Masses was primarily beaten by the Saints’ top wide receiver Chris Olave on the day. 

Even Masses’ interception was not due to his excellent coverage. Malcolm Koonce bullied his way into the backfield and hit Shough as he tried to throw to tight end Juwan Johnson, who was behind Masses. Due to the contact, Shough’s pass ended up about five yards short of the intended target, allowing Masses an easy catch.

Masses also fumbled on the return, but the Raiders recovered. Ultimately, Masses was graded as the 81st-best cornerback (out of 94) in Week 3. 

His play was similar to the entire defensive performance. The Raiders failed to slow down the Saints through three quarters. New Orleans had 27 points entering the fourth quarter and had led by as much as 11 points. 

But the Raiders defense forced four turnovers on four New Orleans fourth quarter drives to turn a pathetic defensive performance into a win. 

Snap Counts

The rookie corner ended up playing every snap of the game, despite Darien Porter returning from injury. Masses seems to have claimed sole possession of the cornerback job despite some of his struggles on Sunday. 

Masses has been making plays on the ball. He recorded a pass breakup on his very first snap in Week 1. He then picked off Justin Herbert twice in the Raiders’ second win of the season. Now he is tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions. As long as that keeps up, he’ll stay on the field.