The Las Vegas Raiders have been a disaster to begin the 2025 NFL season, which is a major disappointment in and of itself. It's even more brutal knowing that the AFC West is seemingly wide open right now, and Las Vegas cannot field a team that can compete for the division title.
Their bitter rival Los Angeles Chargers, however, are at least making attempts to better themselves and bolster the roster after a slew of devastating injuries. On Tuesday, they traded away safety Alohi Gilman to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for edge rusher Odafe Oweh.
This move displayed just how far the Raiders have to go, as Gilman dominated the Silver and Black in Week 2, but he was still deemed expendable by the front office in Los Angeles. To make matters worse, the player they got in return may be another nightmare for Las Vegas.
Jim Harbaugh says Chargers' Odafe Oweh is another Khalil Mack
When Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon, he praised the team's new arrival. He also compared him to a certain former Raider that has dominated the team since his departure.
"He’s a lot like Khalil Mack," Harbaugh said. "Direct rusher, but has speed, has depth, has ability to set the edge. Been a very good, productive young player in his prime."
If Oweh is anything like Mack, that could spell doom for this Raiders team. As if they did not have their hands full enough against Los Angeles when the teams face off again in Week 13, now they'll face another major obstacle, and Stone Forsythe may still be at left tackle instead of Kolton Miller.
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In his nine games against the Raiders since being traded before the 2018 NFL season, Mack has recorded 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss against his old team. This includes games where he has recorded 6.0 and 3.0 sacks. As good as Miller has been, he's always had a hard time with Mack.
To fuel this comparison further, Miller has also had a hard time against Oweh. During Oweh's NFL debut in 2021, he recorded his first sack, and a tackle for loss, against Miller. Last year, in Week 2, he recorded 2.5 sacks against Miller. The Chargers posted a video of his dominance from last season.
Las Vegas has already struggled with blocking Mack alone over the years. But if his clone is suddenly in Los Angeles as well, it will be even tougher sledding for the Raiders against an already superior opponent.