The Detroit Lions have had to make do without one of their best players over the last few weeks, but they’re getting all of their pieces back for Sunday’s marquee matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, who missed the Lions’ last game against the Seattle Seahawks, is healthy and will play on Sunday against the Cowboys, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
“Lions All-Pro C Frank Ragnow (pectoral) is off the injury report and will play Sunday vs. the Cowboys,” Pelissero reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Ragnow injured his pectoral in Week 3 against the Cardinals and was forced to sit out their Monday night clash with Seattle the next week. However, the schedule worked out in their favor, as Ragnow got to use the Week 5 bye to get healthy. He ended up missing just one game despite nearly three weeks of recovery.
Ragnow has been one of the best centers in the NFL for the better part of this decade now, and has made three pro bowls and been names Second Team All-Pro twice since 2020, including last season. He is a key piece in the Lions’ physical, downhill run game and will be a big addition against a Cowboys defense that has been vulnerable on the ground.
Lions have all the pieces to grind the Cowboys on the ground
The Cowboys have a little bit of momentum after two consecutive wins to get to 3-2, but their defense is in for a long day on Sunday against this Lions offense. The Lions are built to exploit Mike Zimmer and this Dallas defense more than maybe anyone else in the league, and they should have their way with the Cowboys on that side of the ball.
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 don’t have the beef to stop a team with a very good offensive line that just wants to hit them in the mouth over and over. The only team that does that better than the Lions is the Baltimore Ravens, who ran for 274 yards in Dallas in Week 3.
Ragnow being back in the lineup will only make things more difficult for the Cowboys, who are already missing DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons on the defensive line and Eric Kendricks at linebacker. The Lions are built to exploit a team with Dallas’ deficiencies, so Sunday could be a rough outing for America’s Team.
