A play late within the first half between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions on Sunday had the hometown followers fearing the worst.
With the Lions holding a 10-Three lead, they confronted a third and 1 close to midfield with below two minutes left within the half. Quite than run the ball for the primary down, Detroit appeared to choose it up by way of the air. Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey had different concepts, nonetheless, as he bullied his method to Jared Goff for a sack.
Compounding issues is the truth that Goff rolled into the again of heart Frank Ragnow, who remained down on the turf clutching his left knee in ache.
Tampa Bay went proper down the sector on their ensuing possession and scored to tie the sport, leaving the Lions followers at Ford Discipline and all over the world questioning about their Tremendous Bowl desires.
However they didn’t want to fret about Ragnow.
Regardless of a litany of accidents which have hampered him all season lengthy, Ragnow didn’t miss a single snap. He was again on the sector when Goff kneeled to finish the primary half, and he’s anticipated to be within the lineup for the NFC Championship Recreation on Sunday, regardless of struggling a sprained knee and a sprained ankle within the sport in opposition to Tampa Bay.
“The dude’s only a warrior man,” Lions left sort out Taylor Decker informed reporters after Sunday’s win, by way of Carmen Vitali of FOX Sports activities. “And he’s been by way of it. He’s been by way of it personally, he’s been by way of it with us as a group. The man is a warrior, and there was by no means a doubt when he acquired banged up as we speak that he was simply going to maintain taking part in and hold combating. As a result of it looks as if he’s all the time simply combating by way of ache. On a regular basis.”
The mere truth Ragnow didn’t miss a snap is spectacular sufficient, however then you definately keep in mind what he was dealing with on Sunday.
Vita Vea.
For a lot of the afternoon Ragnow was tasked with transferring an absolute mountain of a human being, the 6’4, 347-pound Vea who is likely one of the NFL’s greatest inside defensive lineman. These two typically locked horns on Sunday, ranging from Detroit’s first offensive drive of the sport. On this brief run from David Montgomery, Ragnow is tasked with “reaching” Vea, who’s aligned within the A-Hole, within the route of the play. Ragnow will get some assist from proper guard Graham Glasgow, however ultimately it’s as much as Ragnow to manage the large DT:
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Later within the first quarter, the 2 once more crossed paths on this six-yard run from Jahmyr Gibbs. Vea ultimately comes off the block because of a robust counter transfer, however Ragnow will get sufficient of him to present Gibbs a crease:
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It was not all the time Vea that Ragnow was tasked with dealing with, as a few of his spectacular performs got here in opposition to different defenders. Take this play from late within the first half, the place the Buccaneers convey just a little strain. Proper earlier than the snap linebacker Okay.J. Britt flashes downhill, in direction of the A-Hole on Ragnow’s proper shoulder. Ragnow has to make the snap, diagnose the blitz, after which anchor in opposition to a hard-charging Britt, who weighs in at 235 kilos:
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Utterly regular stuff. Ragnow manages to anchor in opposition to Britt, standing him up within the maintain regardless of the linebacker’s working begin. Britt manages to scrape off and assistance on the sort out, however not after a four-yard achieve from Montgomery.
Ragnow’s damage got here simply two performs later, but it surely didn’t stop him from throwing some important blocks within the second half. The 31-yard landing run from Gibbs was one of many sport’s greatest performs and there was Ragnow, climbing as much as the second stage to assist pave the highway:
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Simply earlier than Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a landing move to present Detroit a 31-17 lead, Gibbs picked up 4 yards to present Detroit a first-and-goal scenario on the Tampa Bay 9-yard line. Maybe the most important block on that run? Ragnow pulling to the sting to tackle Yaya Diaby:
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However with out query Ragnow’s greatest block got here late within the third quarter. With the sport nonetheless knotted at 10-10, the Lions confronted a 4th and aim on the Tampa Bay 1-yard line. True to kind, Dan Campbell stored his offense on the sector, and Goff aligned below Ragnow, who was staring throughout at Vea.
The Lions ran proper behind Ragnow, who was tasked with blocking Vea. The large defensive sort out did his greatest to counter Ragnow’s preliminary punch, however the heart was not going to surrender and not using a combat. Watch as Ragnow manages to re-anchor himself, giving working again Craig Montgomery simply sufficient house to slice into the tip zone:
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Merely super, and easily obligatory.
After the sport, Campbell sang his heart’s praises.
“It’s like, man, you is probably not 100%. However in case you really feel like you’ll be able to produce and you’ll win at 80% of your self — and that’s what Frank does,” Campbell mentioned, by way of NFL Media. “He believes he can. He trusts himself and he trusts these guys subsequent to him.”
In a metropolis identified for horsepower, Ragnow is maybe the engine that makes the Detroit offense roar. He and the remainder of the Lions offense will face one in all their stiffer checks but, once they sq. off with the San Francisco 49ers within the NFC Championship Recreation, because the 49ers have a protection with some extremely gifted gamers up entrance.
However given what he has carried out all 12 months lengthy, and what he did Sunday, anticipate Ragnow to be as much as the problem.
