Stock Up
Odafe OwehÂ
The rookie had been mostly quiet for a stretch of games after a quick arrival onto the scene early in the season, but recently, and Sunday night, Oweh has been the opposite of quiet. Oweh led the way for the pass rush, finishing with a sack and forced fumble and being in the backfield often.
One way Oweh was able to wreak havoc, and a tool we haven’t seen a lot of out of the rookie, was how he used his length to beat one-on-one matchups, whether it was jab moves or smacking down blockers’ reaches.
— taylor lions (@taylorlions) November 30, 2021
Oweh’s length is top tier for an edge rusher. His 34.5 inch arms would have ranked third longest among 2020 drafted edge rushers (2021 numbers are hard to find with no combine) and are the longest among Ravens edge defenders. Using that length will help him as he progresses and matures as a pass rusher. After a few weeks of not being as impactful, he looks to be back on a good trajectory and on his way to becoming the dominant pass rusher the Ravens haven’t had since Terrell Suggs.
Brandon Williams
The Ravens’ rush defense had already been one of the NFL’s best coming into Sunday, holding opponents to 88.6 yards per game on the ground. Somehow, without Calais Campbell and facing maybe the league’s best run blocking offensive line and top running back duo, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were held to a combined 36 rushing yards. Brandon Williams was a huge reason why.
Williams has, whether it be fair or unfair, been the focus of a lot of blame during the defense’s early season struggles. He struggled to do some of the basics required from run stuffing nose tackles, but bounced back big time Sunday in his first game in over a month due to a shoulder injury. Williams filled gaps well and took on double teams to clear lanes for other rushers, even beating them sometimes. A turnaround from the 32-year-old as we head down the final stretch of the regular season will be key, as the rush defense navigates the tough schedule on the horizon.
I second that… glad to be back on the field with my team!!! https://t.co/OLh5c0r4Ys
— Brandon Williams (@BrandonW_66) November 29, 2021
Kristian Welch
Welch, a former Iowa Hawkeye, played a career high 10 snaps on defense Sunday, mostly filling in for Josh Bynes when it appeared he was shaken up a bit. Ten snaps obviously isn’t much, but it is when compared to Welch’s seasonal total of one. He played as well as you can in that small of a sample size, playing fast and hitting hard and highlighting his night with a contribution on a tackle for loss with Justin Madubuike.
John Harbaugh credited his expanded role to his success on special teams. Welch has grinded on kick and punt units for over a year now, and he’s finally seeing the hard work pay off. It’s a good example for young players looking to stay on the roster through special teams and it’s encouraging for the future of the inside linebacker group if the 23-year-old Welch can become a contributor.
Stock Down
Brandon Stephens
Baker Mayfield and the Browns picked on Stephens in coverage, finding success over the middle of the field often and tricking the rookie with lots of switch routes.
— taylor lions (@taylorlions) November 30, 2021
Lots of teams have picked on Stephens, who’s been thrust into a starting role without Deshon Elliot. He’s made the occasional nice pass breakup or good coverage rep, but has gone through the typical rookie struggles for the most part. He can still be a good starting safety one day down the road, but it isn’t looking like it will happen this season barring a Patrick Queen-like turnaround.
