Hezekiah Masses made a loud first impression in his first NFL start, and the league took notice.
The Las Vegas Raiders rookie defensive back intercepted Justin Herbert twice, added two pass breakups and finished with a tackle for loss in Week 2 of the 2026 season. That performance helped fuel the Raiders’ 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and it earned Masses both AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and an NFL Pepsi Rookie of the Week award.
Masses wasn’t the only former California defender making noise on Sunday. Nohl Williams and Marcus Harris also drew attention for their play across the league.
Harris picked off his first career pass and added four tackles in the Tennessee Titans’ 24-20 loss to the Eagles. Williams turned in a steady outing for the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with five tackles and one pass breakup in their 33-30 overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts. For Indianapolis, Camryn Bynum stayed busy on defense as well, recording nine tackles.
Jared Goff put up big numbers despite Detroit’s 41-31 loss to Buffalo. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, and through two weeks of the 2026 season he still has not thrown an interception.
Craig Woodson continued to work in New England’s secondary, collecting seven tackles and one pass breakup in the Patriots’ 20-3 win over Pittsburgh.
On offense, Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks finished with four carries for 11 yards and one catch for 15 yards in the Packers’ road win over the New York Jets.
In Other News...
Cal Heads Into Clemson Game With Two Big Concerns Already Looming
Cals first look at the Clemson game came with a couple of familiar names missing from the available pool, as the teams released their initial injury reports ahead of the matchup. Running back Carter Vargas and defensive lineman Nate Burrell are both listed as doubtful, a tough early read for a Cal team trying to line up its depth at two spots that matter on both sides of the ball.
The uncertainty around those positions comes with some context, too. Vargas has already been dealing with the injury he suffered in the opener against UCLA, while Burrell was out last week against Wagner, leaving Cal to wait and see how much it can count on either player as the week moves on. On the other side, Clemsons report has its own moving parts, but the Bears biggest concern is clear enough: the status of two contributors who may not be available when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Swinney Just Became An Unexpected Clemson Storyline
The shared last name was enough to create a small side story around Cals trip to Clemson, where Tigers coach Dabo Swinney brought up the possibility of a family link to Bears starting center Bastian Swinney. He mentioned it both on his radio show and again at a press conference before the game, turning a routine matchup note into a talking point that had nothing to do with protections, blitz pickups or the usual pregame details.
Bastian Swinney has become a steady presence for Cal in his sixth year, anchoring the offensive line and giving the Bears the kind of experienced front they lean on in a road environment like this. The surname coincidence is the fun part, but the real interest is what Cal can do up front against a Clemson defense that now has one more reason to notice the Bears' center. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Breakout Star Changing The Ceiling Of This Defense
Cals defense has found an early season difference-maker in Kingston Lopa, and the redshirt sophomore safety has changed the way opposing offenses have to approach the Bears. Through three games, the Oregon transfer has piled up 17 tackles and emerged as a ball hawk in the secondary, giving Cal a disruptive presence that has helped lift the units ceiling and brought back comparisons to some of the programs better defensive backs.
Lopas rise has already turned heads well beyond Berkeley, with multiple defensive player of the week honors following his breakout showing against Syracuse. The production has also put him on the radar as a rising NFL draft prospect, the kind of defender who can alter a game with one snap and give Cal a genuine centerpiece in the back end while the rest of the conference adjusts to him. [Read more 🡒]