Odafe Oweh had long imagined the sort of game he had Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
It has felt like the 2021 first-round pick, who looks like he was sculpted from clay to torment quarterbacks, hadn’t quite finished in the kiln.
In the Ravens’ sunny home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, it finally came together with 2.5 sacks – Oweh’s first career multi-sack game. His burst off the edge, his technique, his finish. It was all there in his breakout game.
But the game’s result, a surprising 26-23 loss, put a damper on Oweh’s party. And beyond that, it just didn’t feel like Oweh expected.
“I was like, ‘Alright, I was doing this all practice. OK, I did it [in the game] now. Now I want to get more,'” Oweh said. “I just keep getting more hungry, more plays, start chasing that rush of making those plays. It felt good, but it didn’t feel as good as I wanted it to. I wanted more.”
The Ravens bet on Oweh’s breakout, picking up his fifth-year option in May to ensure he will be in purple and black through the 2025 season. General Manager Eric DeCosta said before the season started that watching Oweh dominate in summer practices made him even more confident that was the right decision.
It was a leap of faith if judging by the stats alone. Oweh had 13 sacks through his first three years, including five last season. But the Ravens saw Oweh’s improvement, even if the surface-level stats didn’t show it.
In Week 1, Oweh missed a sack on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It was a glimpse back at a too-familiar sight from last season, when Oweh had a top 20 pass rush win rate among all NFL outside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus, but finished tied for 85th in sacks.
That was frustrating, as was the fact that in part due to injuries that cost him four games, Oweh had significantly fewer pass rush opportunities. Although Oweh and Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9.5 sacks for Baltimore last season, had identical pass rush win rates (23.7), Clowney had 297 pass rushes to Oweh’s183.
Oweh had to remain patient, with both his opportunities and himself. Asked what he attributes his breakout game to, Oweh looked at the big picture.
“Just staying relentless in the rush and in the run [and] not worrying about what people say,” he said. “Just continuing to work hard and just trust in the process.”
Those in the know knew what was to come for Oweh. A month ago, while on Mina Kimes’ podcast, star New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordon included Oweh among his list of the top NFL pass rushers – even if he couldn’t remember his name.
On Sunday, Oweh will share the field with another pass rusher who needs no introduction.
The Cowboys’ Micah Parsons quickly made a name for himself as one of the top defensive players in the league. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 and is a two-time first-team All-Pro with 40.5 sacks over his first three seasons.
To Oweh, Parsons’ title was roommate. The two Penn State stars constantly competed in college, especially in the weight room. Whoever went first on a rep, the other had to one-up them on the next. At their Pro Day, Oweh got the last laugh with a 40-yard dash at 4.36 seconds while Parsons clocked in at 4.39.
In the NFL, Parsons was quicker to reach fame and accolades. Oweh watched that from afar, proud of his friend while also wanting it for himself.
Oweh’s rise has taken more time, but he’s catching up. Right now, he’s 1.5 sacks ahead in the sack column. In Week 2, Oweh posted the eighth-best PFF grade among all edge defenders. Parsons came in ninth.
Oweh and Parsons haven’t texted or called each other yet this week in the days before their AT&T Stadium meeting. They’re both getting over tough team losses, so Oweh thought it best to give some space. But he expects to eventually hear some chirping from Parsons this week.
“I wouldn’t start it. I’m not a trash talker,” Oweh said. “You want to play good. You want to have those bragging rights and stuff like that, but I wouldn’t say any extra motivation.
“I’m just trying to keep on being me and keep doing what I do best. We’re different players but we’re both athletic so people like to group us together. But I know what I can do. We’ll just see who has a better game and leads their team.”
Both teams need a win badly this weekend. The Ravens are 0-2 and the Cowboys were thumped last Sunday in their own stadium by the Saints.
Sunday’s game will be broadcast to nearly a nationwide audience. Everything is bigger in Texas, and Oweh is hoping he has an even bigger impact than he did versus the Raiders. He’s seen his breakout coming for a long time.
“I know who I am. It’s a blessing that it’s being actualized now,” Oweh said. “I can’t say that I’m not happy, but I know that there’s still another level to go, and there’s still even more things that I want to do better.”