Ravens Expecting More Production from Oweh
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh is off to a slow start to the season.
Coach John Harbaugh expects more production from the second-year player, who has five tackles and no sacks through the first two games.
"He has got to play better, like all of us do," Harbaugh said. "We’ve got to coach better, got to play better, and you’ve got to make a name for yourself out there. You’ve got to do go do it.”
Oweh played through a shoulder injury for much of last season. He underwent off-season surgery and had a solid training camp.
However, he has faced double-teams in the first two games and has struggled to get to the quarterback. He's also been on the field for much of the defensive snaps because the Ravens are short-handed at outside linebacker.
"You don’t want them out there the whole game, so you’ve got to ‘personnel it’ a little bit with the other guys that we’ve had [and that] we’ve alluded to over training camp," defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said. "So, Malik [Harrison] and some of the other guys have stepped up in those situations. But you try to tailor it so when they’re throwing the ball, those guys are out there.
"And if you look at the snap counts, it’s probably about where we want it to be. But when you do get into a game where they’re throwing the ball a lot, you might have to get a little creative with it.”
The hope was that Oweh would boost the beleaguered pass rush and there is plenty of time to rebound.
Last season, Oweh finished second on the Ravens with five sacks, along with 15 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles. He also had five turnovers caused by pressure in 2021, which was tied for the most in the NFL, according to Next Generation Stats.
"He and I had breakfast [Tuesday] morning and had a great conversation about it," Harbaugh said. "He’s so determined, wants to be so good. He’s learning; he’s a young player. He’s very determined, and it’s really every aspect of the position.
"The biggest thing is that the process is what leads to production. Come in every day, take care of business, keep it simple, let’s not overthink everything; start with your stance and your alignment, and we’ll go from there.”
