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Ravens Suffer Significant Setback Before Lions Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 1:49 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens secured their first win during Week 2, blowing out the Cleveland Browns 41-17. They're looking to continue that momentum with an upcoming matchup against the Detroit Lions.

However, they've been dealing with several concerning injuries early on, including to two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.

His availability against the Lions has been in question, as he didn't participate in Thursday or Friday practices due to a neck injury.

Madubuike has been very productive through two games, with seven tackles, two sacks (leads team), two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, four pressures, one hurry and one quarterback knockdown.

His production has not gone unrecognized, earning a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 73.5, which ranks 22nd out of 160 qualified defensive linemen.

However, on Saturday, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh confirmed Madubuike won't be suiting up against the Lions, telling reporters, "He will be ruled out for this game."

“He will be ruled out for this game.” Coach Harbaugh with an update on Nnamdi Madubuike pic.twitter.com/A4VbFybrfR
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 20, 2025

With Madubuike officially out, it's next man up, and on Baltimore's depth chart , that's Aeneas Peebles, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

There's a clear drop in production; Peebles has recorded just one tackle and one pass deflection to start the year.

It creates a hole in the Ravens' defense, going up against a Lions offense that's among the best in the NFL and coming off a 52-21 victory over the Chicago Bears. Through two games, Detroit ranks fifth in total yards per game ( 378.5) and third in points per game (32.5).

With the threat of dropping to 1-2, Baltimore is in serious need of a big performance from Peebles to replace Madubuike's production.

The game will be played during "Monday Night Football" at 8:15 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium, airing on ABC and ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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