Stock Up
Odafe Oweh
For the second week in a row, Oweh was one of the best and most impactful Ravens defenders. It’s rare for a rookie to so quickly become one of his unit’s best players, but Oweh has done just that.
Wink Martindale used the 31st overall pick in a plethora of ways. He logged 38 snaps (75%), the most snaps played of any outside linebacker. He rushed the passer traditionally off the edge, played the run well and frequently chipped Travis Kelce to throw him off his route.
On 3rd down, the Ravens aligned #99 Odafe Oweh outside of Travis Kelce and help hinder his release before rushing the passer.
Works almost like a defensive version of chip help. pic.twitter.com/yWvDndB2Xs
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 20, 2021
He was even used as a delayed blitzer when he hit Patrick Mahomes to force his interception.
????ODAFE OWEH IS CAPABLE OF FORCING INTERCEPTIONSpic.twitter.com/dpcapZqBjf https://t.co/MsD10w3d2u
— PFF BAL Ravens (@PFF_Ravens) September 20, 2021
But the icing on the cake was his forced fumble and recovery. It looked like a play only a seasoned vet could make, extending to punch the ball loose and diving on top of it all in the same motion.
Forced and recovered. Odafe Oweh is an absolute beast, ladies and gents. pic.twitter.com/6CJxtx81zk
— Pedro H. Rhormes (@rhormes_) September 20, 2021
The consensus with Oweh coming into the season seemed to be that he’d make some splash plays with his big frame and plus speed but would be a bit streaky and inconsistent in year one. He’s already dispelled that thought process, showing a very high floor and an ability to impact the game in more ways than we thought he would. His continued development and seeing how creative Martindale gets with him will be among the most interesting things to watch this season.
Hollywood Brown
Brown was open in the middle of the field so much it started charging him rent. No matter the down or distance, he consistently found open field over the middle and was yet again Lamar Jackson’s most trusted target in every situation.
Something the offense struggled with early on in Brown’s career was getting him the ball with room to run. He was never really a yards after catch guy, but so far this season it looks like he’s becoming one. He was even used as the pass option on an RPO.
Hollywood being used in the RPO game. more of this please! pic.twitter.com/cJb6TLzjhj
— Taylor Lyons (@taylorjlyons) September 21, 2021
After Sunday, Brown has either caught a touchdown or gone over 80 yards in 10 straight games. Through two weeks, he’s PFF’s third highest rated receiver, and his 182 yards are eighth among wideouts.
Brown’s been one of the biggest beneficiaries from the addition of Sammy Watkins, and Rashod Bateman eventually returning will help him even more. He’s finally becoming a true number one receiver.
Patrick Mekari
We found out early last week that Ronnie Stanley hadn’t fully recovered from his leg injury from last season and that Week 1 was probably too early for a return. He pushed through it anyway, but his poor play showed he wasn’t 100 percent. With him sidelined this week and possibly for more to come, Mekari was inserted at right tackle, a position he only played for one half of one game at the NFL level, a loss last season to New England.
Mekari was one-fifth of a dominant offensive line that allowed just a single sack in Sunday night’s win. He held down the edge on the right side in pass protection and made some nice second level blocks in the run game too.
Overall, it was a very encouraging game from the offensive line and Mekari in particular. If he and Alejandro Villanueva can keep this up, Stanley won’t be missed as much as we thought while also providing good depth at tackle when he does come back.
[Related Article: Un-Flippin’ Believable]
Stock Down
Patrick Queen
No one individually played badly enough to warrant a Stock Down selection. Even Queen had some nice moments when his closing speed was on full display.
Patrick Queen looked good against the Raiders, and he looked even better against KC. The guys very quick and covers ground well. pic.twitter.com/y2F9HJKQu6
— Sanjit T. (@Sanjit__T) September 21, 2021
Unfortunately, what stood out more than I would like is his finishing on tackles. It was an issue for Queen last year as a rookie and it started to look improved through the preseason and Week 1, but Sunday night was a big step back in that department.
Nobody in the NFL had more missed tackles last season than Queen’s 21. No other linebacker had more than 17, and no other Raven had more than 14 (Marcus Peters). His 16.5% missed tackle rate ranked fifth among all starting linebackers.
Sunday night was very similar to last year for Queen. He showed his elite athleticism and speed but too often struggled to finish the tackle. It’s a similar problem good outfielders in baseball have with errors. They have the speed to get to the ball, but if they don’t come up with the catch, they’re credited with an error when in reality most outfielders wouldn’t have gotten to the ball in the first place. Queen has the speed to track down most receivers and tight ends but too frequently misses on the tackle. If he wants to take the next step in his development in year two, this is an area he must improve in.
