Today, the Detroit Lions are facing off against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC North Thanksgiving matchup.
Both teams have seven wins and are competing for first place in the division (the Chicago Bears are in first with eight wins). Today’s game will have playoff implications, but regardless of the outcome, the Lions have help on the way.
Detroit’s All-Pro Center Is Back
After seven years in the NFL, Lions’ starting center Frank Ragnow retired this past offseason due to health concerns and wanting to focus on family. This was a hit for Detroit’s offense, but after G Graham Gaslow moved to center, the offensive line still looked good. Still, Ragnow’s departure was still felt, but now the Lions won’t have to worry about that.
Per Ian Rapoport, Ragnow will be coming out of retirement and returning to Detroit. Ragnow won’t play in Detroit’s Thanksgiving matchup, but he could be ready right away next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
How Ragnow Improves the Lions Offense
Without their all-pro center this season, according to PFSN’s Offensive Line Impact Metric, Detroit still has one of the best rushing games in the NFL. The average yards per rush this offense is getting is a staggering 5.3 yards.
This is the heartbeat of the offense, and the Lions try to win that way, but at times, they need to pass, and this is where Ragnow will really improve this team.
The Lions are 25th in pass plays and have given up 23 sacks this season. Looking at the percentage of dropbacks that resulted in a sack, it is 6.1%, which is 15th in the NFL, so middle of the pack. Last season, with Ragnow in the lineup, the Lions were 10th in percentage of sacks allowed.
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Being able to add one of the best centers in the NFL (ranked 5th in PFSN’s Player Offensive Line Impact Metric last season) to an already excellent Detroit offensive line is exciting news for the Lions.
As mentioned before, the NFC North is incredibly close at the top, and this battle will go on for the rest of the season, but for the Lions, their new addition may be the difference in the end.
