Lewis Sanders, deflecting a pass away from the Ravens’ Yamon Figurs last month, has a grip on New England’s left cornerback job, for now.

The Journal / Bob Breidenbach

FOXBORO — So the mystery was finally solved Sunday against Kansas City.

Or was it?

What was the $1-million-dollar question?

Who was going to start at the left cornerback position this season, opposite Ellis Hobbs?

That was the biggest question facing the Patriots’ secondary entering the season. They went to great lengths to find a suitable candidate to help fill the void left when Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuelsigned with Philadelphia in the offseason.

The Patriots added cornerbacks Lewis Sanders, Fernando Bryant and Jason Webster, along with safety Tank Williams. In addition, they drafted cornerbacks Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, and safety Matthew Slater.

Then, six days before their season-opener, the Patriots signed Deltha O’Neal (after cutting Bryant and Webster, and Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury), adding more confusion to the equation.

When the dust had settled and the smoke had cleared, Sanders had earned the starting job.

Well, for Week One, anyway.

New England coach Bill Belichick said yesterday that the starter at the left cornerback position would be whoever the coaches feel matches up best against the opposing team’s receiver. That might not be the same player every week.

“We will do the same thing we do every week and try to play the players, schemes and the situation we feel is best for that particular game,” Belichick said when asked who will start at the left-corner spot on Sunday. “It might change from week to week and it might not.

“I think Lewis [Sanders] did a good job. He certainly had some experience over Deltha [O’Neal] coming in last week. Deltha, this week will be able to catch up a little bit in that area.”

Sanders was signed as a veteran free agent on March 6 after totaling 32 tackles (28 solo) and two passes defensed in 14 games with six starts for Atlanta last season. He recorded three tackles on Sunday against Kansas City.

“I thought I did OK but it was the first game of the season and there is still a lot to work on so I’m just going to go out there and keep practicing hard every week and just try to perform out there on Sunday,” Sanders said.

Sanders said that he adjusted quickly to New England’s playbook, which probably put him ahead of the pack.

“It hasn’t been too challenging,” Sanders said of the Patriots’ system. “This is my ninth year in the league so it’s not too difficult. There are some little things that are different here and there but it’s pretty much the same [as everywhere else].” Sanders, 30, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round in 2000, and he has never gone a full season in which he started every game.

But that doesn’t mean that he did not play an important role to his respective teams. He has participated in 88 career games with 26 starts, recording 175 career tackles, one sack, five interceptions, 31 passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries, while totaling 51 special-teams tackles.

O’Neal, on the other hand, is a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro selection who has recorded 31 interceptions in his career. He was drafted the same year that Sanders was, 2000, but in the first round, and could challenge Sanders for the starting job once he gets more comfortable in the Patriots’ system.

“That’s the coach’s decision but as a player you are always looking to have a starting job,” O’Neal said.

O’Neal recorded three tackles against Kansas City. Even though he didn’t start, his performance will be remembered more than Lewis’ by Patriots fans because he prevented Kansas City from two potential tying scores in the fourth quarter.

The first came on a 68-yard catch by Devard Darling. O’Neal caught him from behind at the Patriots’ 5-yard-line.

“He just made a play,” O’Neal said of Darling. “Hats off to him, he did a wonderful job and put them into scoring position. I was just thinking, ‘Get him down so we don’t go into overtime.’ ”

The second game-saving play came four plays later, on 4th-and-goal at the 5, when he knocked down a pass intended for Dwayne Bowe with 40 seconds left in the game, preserving New England’s 17-10 victory.

“You know, that’s just a gut check ,” O’Neal said. “It’s the last play, fourth down; you know they’re going to pass it. Nine times out of ten it’s either going to go to [Tony] Gonzalez or [Dwayne Bowe]. [Bowe] was on my side. I was thinking, ‘This ball is coming to me, this is a gut check. I’ve got to play my part and play my position.’ ”

Both Sanders and O’Neal said that they are not concerned with starting every game, they just want to help the Patriots win games.

“To be honest I don’t even really worry about starting or being a backup,” Sanders said. “I just go out there wherever the coaches put me out there. I just go out there and do my job.”

“Right now I’m just trying to fit in where I can,” O’Neal said.

roblee@projo.com