Lions’ Frank Ragnow played through injuries in win vs Bucs, not expected to miss NFC Championship Game: report

Detroit Lions fans were holding their collective breath when All-Pro center Frank Ragnow was lying on the turf during the NFC Divisional Game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. 

Ragnow got twisted up during a play, and video replay showed him in quite some pain after his knee turned awkwardly at the line of scrimmage. As the team’s center, Ragnow is a key piece to making sure the offense functions properly. 

So, when he had to come out of the game to check on his injury, fans were hoping for the best. 

Luckily for them, Ragnow was spotted just a few plays later in his spot on the offensive line. All was right again. 

But on a fourth-and-goal play from the one-yard line, he once again was injured after Craig Reynolds scored a touchdown. He was wincing in pain, this time getting his ankle twisted up. 

Well, it turns out that Ragnow suffered a sprained knee and sprained ankle, but somehow managed to play through it, according to NFL Network. 

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Even better, Ragnow isn’t expected to miss the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. 

“It’s like, man, you may not be 100%,” head coach Dan Campbell told reporters, via NFL Network. “But if you feel like you can produce and you can win at 80% of yourself – and that’s what Frank does. He believes he can. He trusts himself, and he trusts those guys next to him.”

Ragnow, the 20th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, was named second-team All-Pro this season, while also receiving the honor during the 2020 season. 

The Lions’ offense has been one of the best units in the NFL this year in both the run and pass games. Without a stout offensive line, which includes Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow, quarterback Jared Goff and the rest of the offense wouldn’t be able to function at the elite level they have been since Week 1’s upset of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

They will be underdogs heading out west to face the star-studded 49ers. Campbell will hope that health is on the Lions’ side leading up to that matchup, which will determine who will represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.