For the past several weeks, the Detroit Lions have had to play without one of their finest players; but, for their big game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they will have all of their players back. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, All-Pro centre Frank Ragnow, who was sidelined for the Lions’ most recent game against the Seattle Seahawks, is healthy and scheduled to play against the Cowboys on Sunday. Pelissero said on X, formerly Twitter, that “Lions All-Pro C Frank Ragnow (pectoral) is off the injury report and will play Sunday vs. the Cowboys.”
After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 3 against the Cardinals, Ragnow was unable to play in the next Monday night game against Seattle. Nevertheless, the scheduling was advantageous to them because Ragnow was able to recuperate during the Week 5 bye. Despite recovering for over three weeks, he only missed one game in the end. For the majority of this decade, Ragnow has been among the top centres in the NFL. He has been selected to the Second Team All-Pro twice since 2020, including the most recent season, and has made three pro bowls. He will be a valuable asset against a Cowboys defence that has shown weakness in the running game. He is a crucial component of the Lions’ gritty, downhill run game.
The Cowboys are up to 3-2 after two straight victories, but their defence will have its hands full against this Lions offence on Sunday. The Lions should have the upper hand over the Cowboys on that side of the ball because they are better suited to take advantage of Mike Zimmer and this Dallas defence than anybody else in the league. The weakness of the Cowboys defense is in the middle of the defensive line and at linebacker, leaving them vulnerable to teams that like to run the ball downhill. There aren’t a ton of teams that do that effectively in the NFL, but the Lions are one of the best in the business. Whether it’s David Montgomery or Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, Ben Johnson and this Lions offense can get downhill quickly with a combination of zone and duo concepts
The Cowboys lack the grit necessary to stop a club with a potent offensive line that is determined to repeatedly smack them in the mouth. The Baltimore Ravens are the only team that outperforms the Lions in that regard; in Week 3, they ran for 274 yards in Dallas. The return of Ragnow to the starting lineup would only complicate matters for the Cowboys, who are already without Eric Kendricks at linebacker, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on the defensive line. It might be a difficult game for America’s club on Sunday since the Lions are designed to take advantage of a club with Dallas’ weaknesses.
