Detroit Lions Bring Back a Familiar Face
The Detroit Lions are coming up on a crucial game against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving at Ford Field, and they need a win to move up the ranks in the NFC North. So, head coach Dan Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes and company are doing what they can to solidify this lineup going into the final stretch of the season.
The Detroit Lions have a 7-4 record, which isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not where they would like to be right now. The Packers are ahead of them in NFC North rankings at No. 2, so a win over them becomes even more crucial. In a perfect world, the Lions are basically going for a win over Green Bay on Thanksgiving and then cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles to beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday, November 30.
So, it’s crunch time, and that means doing anything and everything to get this team ready for the playoffs, God willing. Now, the Detroit Lions have brought back a favorite player who retired before this season started. It’ll be oh-so good to see him on the field again.
Detroit Lions Favorite is Back in Town
A familiar face is back in the Motor City. On Wednesday, November 26, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network shared the news that the team’s “offensive line just got a lot better, as one the game’s greats will return — Center Frank Ragnow is returning. Sounds like he’s in shape and ready to roll sooner, rather than later.”
The Detroit Lions also shared the news on their official social accounts. Ragnow made headlines before the season started when he decided to retire from football. It was a crushing loss for the Lions, who can also used a good center.
This news should make those in Detroit very happy, and they’re reacting that way. “Lions fans just got Christmas before Thanksgiving,” one follower said on X. “Bro the lions are so chilling now,” another said. “Their interior offense line was so bad. This is huge,” one more added.
So, Ragnow may be the saving grace of this team. No matter what happens going forward, it’s a given that the Lions have a better chance with Ragnow back where he belongs.
Where Detroit Lions Stand in the NFL in Week 13
The Detroit Lions are inching up NFL power rankings after their narrow win over the Giants on Sunday, November 23. In the NFL’s official tally, they actually stayed the same, at No. 8.
“This has been a gauntlet of a schedule, so the Lions are allowed a tough game here and there, and they remain strong contenders for both the playoffs and a third straight division title,” Eric Edholm of the NFL states in a piece out on Tuesday, November 25. Still, it’s hard not to be a little antsy about their chances with so many more tough games remaining and some issues seemingly not going away.”
Amber Reed of Alternative Fix notes, “Lions are 7–4, and they’re giving us hope, heartbreak, and that raw, ‘anything can happen’ energy. They’ve crawled, leapt, and clawed just to stay in the mix. Some games have felt like survival sagas. Some like glorious near-misses.” She added, “But through it all: they fight. And in November of a brutal NFL season, that fight feels good to watch.” It’s for certain that anything can, and will, happen when it comes to the Detroit Lions.
Kevin Stefanski storyline debunked ahead of Browns-Dolphins game
One of the biggest storylines heading into Sunday’s matchup between the Cleveland Browns (1-5) and the Miami Dolphins (1-5) centers on speculation that either Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski or Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be fired on Monday — unless the game ends in a tie.
For an article published on Friday, Browns reporters Zac Jackson and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic addressed whether or not Stefanski will be coaching for his job on Oct. 19.
Have Browns owners already made Kevin Stefanski decision?
"If the Browns lose Sunday, Stefanski might get fired," Jackson wrote. "I don’t think team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam will do it."
The Haslams signed Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry to contract extensions in June 2024 before the Browns finished last season with a 3-14 record. Nevertheless, Jimmy Haslam seemed to accept blame this past spring for Deshaun Watson's disastrous, fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract in March 2022. Haslam also indicated at that time that Stefanski and Berry could receive another "year or two" to find a long-term answer at quarterback.
However, the Browns have gone 1-5 since. ESPN stats show that Cleveland, which benched and traded quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, will enter the weekend ranked last in the league with an average of 13.7 points scored per game this season. Meanwhile, Flacco was sensational as he led Cincinnati to a thrilling 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.
Will Kevin Stefanski receive a pass for Browns' 2025 season?
"Short of another complete collapse, however, it sure seems like the Haslams are giving everyone a pass on this year as they begin to sweep up the debris of the Watson debacle," Lloyd added. "I know nobody wants to hear that, but I’ve seen or heard nothing to the contrary to this point."
As of Friday morning, ESPN BET had the Browns as 2.5-point favorites over the Dolphins. Perhaps the Haslams will have second thoughts regarding Stefanski's tenure if Cleveland suffers a humiliating home loss to a downright awful Miami team.
