The Kansas City Chiefs' offense was already licking its chops ahead of Sunday's high-flying matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. As great a team as they are, their defense has been one of the worst in the league this season.
Now, things may have gotten much easier for Andy Reid and Matt Nagy, as the Ravens won't be without one of their top defensive lineman again. According to head coach John Harbaugh, Nnamdi Madubuike will remain out with a neck injury.
Nnamdi Madubuike Will Miss Week 4
"I would say I'm concerned about it," the Ravens head coach said, per Jamison Hensley. "We're going to have to see going forward when they know what they need to know," added Harbaugh, hinting at a long-term absence for his star lineman.
Madubuike sustained the injury at some point during the Ravens' Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns. He hasn't practiced or played ever since, and it looks like he could be looking at some time on the shelf.
Madubuike signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension before the start of the 2024 season after leading the team with 13 sacks in 2023. Not having him around will certainly take plenty of pressure off the Chiefs' shaky offensive line.
Chiefs Have to Exploit the Ravens' Weak Defense
Of course, injuries are never something to cheer for, regardless of the player or the opposition. Nevertheless, this is certainly great news for the Chiefs' running game, which has struggled to get anything going so far.
Without Madubuike, the Detroit Lions ran the ball for a whopping 224 yards and four touchdowns, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery scoring two apiece. Montgomery also had explosive runs of 31 and 72 yards.
The Chiefs are averaging just 108.0 rushing yards per game, which is good for 17th in the league. However, Patrick Mahomes is responsible for 125 of those rushing yards, with Isiah Pacheco adding 92 on 3.7 yards per carry, and Kareem Hunt logging 81 on 3.5 yards per attempt. Also, they have just three rushing touchdowns all season, and Mahomes has two of those.
The Ravens' ailing defense has given up the second-most points (31.0), total yards (420.3), and passing yards (266.0) per game. And with Xavier Worthy potentially returning from a three-week absence, the table is set for a big game for Mahomes and company.
Of course, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are also a lethal duo, so Steve Spagnuolo's defense will have its hands full. But if the visitors can't get a stop, you have to like the Chiefs' chances at Arrowhead.