After more than a year of being sidelined by a neck injury, Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike has a strong return in the Ravens' 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro.
There were questions about whether Madubuike would be on a pitch count in his first game back, but he started and played the most snaps of any Ravens defensive lineman with 47.
Madubuike also received the highest grade of any Ravens player in the game with a 90.1 mark from Pro Football Focus. He finished the game with three tackles and two pressures but was also flagged for roughing the passer.
"It felt great just to be out there," Madubuike said. "It's been a while since I've been out there, so I felt a little rusty. But I think I got a little bit of pressure, helped the team on defense."
Madubuike said Ravens Defensive Line Coach Lou Esposito told his star defensive tackle to monitor how his body felt as the game went on to determine how much he would play.
"I was just playing. I didn't really think about snaps or nothing. I felt good the whole game," Madubuike said.
Madubuike previously said he never thought his football career was in jeopardy, but it was definitely a difficult journey getting back to the field. To get a victory in the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro, in epic fashion, made it even sweeter.
"I was really emotional just being back and being away from the game for a little bit," Madubuike said. "It was just emotional being here. I had a great conversation with my mom this morning, just gratitude, just being in the moment and just seeing how far I came. So, I was definitely emotional. I was glad to play after that."
Here are more notes from Sunday's win: