Nnamdi Madubuike knew things were going to be different this year, fresh off an All-Pro year and contract extension that clearly put him among the elite defensive tackles in the game. He didn't think it was going to be this different.
After leading NFL defensive tackles with 13 sacks last season, Madubuike has just two through the Ravens' first eight games. He's carrying a heavy load and trying to remain patient as he continues to work for the rewards.
Part of the reason for Madubuike's dip in sack production is because of how many double teams he's seeing. He was doubled on the Browns' first offensive snap of the game Sunday, then doubled again on the second.
Madubuike has seen the seventh-most double teams (90) among NFL defensive tackles, only one fewer than the Chiefs' Chris Jones, per Next Gen Stats. Madubuike has been doubled on 35.7% of his pass rushes.
"There's just way, way more double teams than I expected," Madubuike said this week. "Sometimes on the sidelines, I get a little bit frustrated about it because it wasn't like that last year. All my teammates and my coach always tell me to take it as a compliment because they respect you. You're a player and they don't want you to wreck the game."
Despite the extra attention, Madubuike ranks fifth in the league among interior defensive linemen in total pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
"I'm going to be hard on myself because I don't want to make any excuses," Madubuike said. "I still want to get to the quarterback. I still want to stop the run. I still want to be an impact player. What I can do is just take it one day at a time and just take care of my body and just prep for gameday."
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said the Ravens are trying to find different ways to move Madubuike around to keep offensive lines off balance and single him up.
"I see the same player," Orr said. "I told him keep playing how you're playing, keep studying how you're studying, and the numbers are going to come. It's like shooting, a great three-point shooter, you know you're a good shooter. When it all hits, you go on a streak. I think we'll see that from 'Beeks' soon."
Madubuike is also taking more snaps than at any point in his career. He played 59 in back-to-back weeks. He'd never previously played that many snaps in a regulation-length game.
His workload could get even heavier in Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos, as he's Baltimore's only healthy defensive lineman on the 53-man roster. Michael Pierce (calf) went on injured reserve this week and Travis Jones (ankle), Broderick Washington (knee), and Brent Urban (concussion) all missed Thursday's practice.
"For me, being a leader of the defense, it's tightening up just doing your job, in terms of just sleep, recovery, doing what you can," Madubuike said. "You don't want to put yourself in a position where you're really thin. We need everybody that we've got."
The Broncos' rushing attack has been their strength this season, as they are averaging 121.4 yards per game (14th in the NFL). The Browns and Bucs both ran the ball reasonably well on early downs the past two weeks, which contributed to their high third-down conversion rate. Shutting down Denver's rushing attack will be key Sunday.
"First and foremost, those guys, they want to run the ball – make no mistake about it," linebacker Roquan Smith said. "[They've] got two really good [running] backs and a pretty good offensive line, as well."
