Odafe Oweh has been paid like a difference-maker, but the Washington Commanders are still waiting for the version of him that looks the part. That makes Thursday night against the New York Giants a pretty obvious pressure point. If Oweh finally turns the corner in Week 10, he could help keep Washington from reliving another collapse against a Giants offense that has already shown it can hurt them.
The Commanders learned that lesson the hard way in the overtime tie at Northwest Stadium in Week 5. The Giants didn’t beat them with brute force on the ground.
They did damage through the air, especially on deep throws between the numbers to Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely. Washington’s defense couldn’t get those two under control, and that’s the kind of problem Oweh is supposed to help solve before it starts.
J.J. McCarthy is most comfortable getting rid of the ball on those same kinds of throws, which puts the spotlight squarely on Oweh at MetLife Stadium. The Commanders need him to make McCarthy uncomfortable early and often.
There are signs that Oweh is trending in the right direction, even if the eye test still leaves plenty to be desired. He has two sacks in his last three games, including one against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 when defensive coordinator Daronte Jones sent rookie inside linebacker Sonny Styles on the blitz and left Oweh unblocked. That kind of free lane helps anybody, but the bigger ask is still there: Washington needs its major investment to win when the protection is actually built to stop him.
That means beating tackles one-on-one, especially when Jones doesn’t dial up extra pressure. Oweh has shown he can do that. He’s physical enough to drive offensive tackles backward, and he flashed it on a strip-sack of former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones against the Indianapolis Colts at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The challenge this week is tougher. The Giants bring a sturdy tackle pairing in Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, so Oweh’s first job is to figure out which side gives him the best path. Once he finds it, he’ll need to lean on the fuller pass-rush toolbox that has always hinted at more than he’s consistently delivered.
There’s some real variety there. Oweh can slip underneath with a dip move, rip through with an over-arm swim, or win from the inside with a spin that can catch blockers off guard.
That blend of athleticism and technique is what made him such an intriguing first-round pick in 2021, and it’s also what teased the Ravens before they traded him to the Los Angeles Chargers last season. In 13 games there, the 27-year-old put up 10.5 sacks.
Washington is still chasing that level of production.
If Oweh brings it on Thursday, the Giants may have to commit extra attention to No. 98, and that would open the door for the rest of the Commanders’ pass rush. K’Lavon Chaisson has been a bargain, while Charles Omenihu and Dorance Armstrong Jr. give Washington more disruption and flexibility up front.
That’s the kind of group that can make life miserable for McCarthy, especially if he falls into the kind of hesitation Dan Orlovsky pointed to in “stressful moments” when his first read isn’t there. For the Commanders, it starts with Oweh.
In Other News...
Luke McCaffrey Spotted A Giants Loophole The Commanders Needed
Luke McCaffrey gave the Commanders a little hidden value on special teams in the game against the Giants, and Dan Quinn noticed. On a kickoff sequence that could have been easy to overlook, McCaffrey recognized the ball was headed for a situation the NFL rules treat differently once it goes out of bounds, and he handled it in a way that helped Washington avoid a worse starting spot.
Instead of letting the moment turn into a routine dead-ball reset, McCaffreys awareness helped set the Commanders up at the 40-yard line. It was the kind of smart, situational play coaches love because it comes from understanding the fine print, and it gave Washington an extra edge in a game where every field-position advantage matters. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Rookie Sparks Concern After Strange Sideline Moment Vs Commanders
A strange sideline scene briefly stole attention from the Giants-Commanders matchup in Week 10 when rookie Cam Skattebo was seen vomiting during the game. Sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung noted the moment, and the broadcast booth of Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit also addressed it as medical staff checked on him.
Skattebo appeared to be fine afterward, and the episode did not keep him from staying involved in the game. He later found the end zone in the second quarter, turning an odd and concerning moment into just another footnote in a matchup that already had enough going on. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Win Is Fueling A Brutal Giants Postgame Debate
The Giants 24-21 loss to Washington in Week 10 has lingered well past the final whistle because of what happened on the games last two throws. Head coach John Harbaugh pointed to the defensive look Washington showed, saying the Commanders came with zero blitzes and left routes that were supposed to be available. It was the kind of late-game sequence that usually gets replayed, dissected and second-guessed, especially in a one-score finish.
J.J. McCarthy did not try to dodge the moment afterward. He took responsibility for the interception on the final possession and said he could have handled the situation differently. For Washington, the win is another line in the standings, but for the Giants it has turned into a fresh debate about execution, decision-making and whether the offense read the moment the way it needed to. [Read more 🡒]