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NOTEBOOK: Lions lean on Williams after St. Brown leaves game early

Amon-Ra St. Brown is not only a wildly productive player for the Lions having recorded over 500 receptions in his young career, but he's also part of the heart and soul of this offense for the physicality he brings in the run game and just his overall versatility.

St. Brown left Detroit's 31-24 loss to Green Bay with about six minutes left in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return to the game.

"When you lose a guy like Saint, it's tough," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. "There's so many things he brings to our offense. Everybody knows the production and the versatility he has but also all the dirty work he does in the run game.

"All the little things, man, and the nuances of where you line up and where you go and who you block and if it's this look and they go here you need to slide back to do this. He's so frickin smart and he's tough. There's a million jobs he does, and he does them at a high level that it hurts when you lose him."

St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta, who is on injured reserve with a back injury, are two do-it-all weapons for this offense that are missed when they're not in the lineup.

Campbell said he didn't think St. Brown's ankle injury was serious but he didn't know if he'd be available for next Thursday's game at Ford Field vs. Dallas.

Detroit got some nice performances from wide receivers Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa and Tom Kennedy stepping up and playing bigger roles.

Williams caught seven passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. TeSlaa caught two passes for 35 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown. Kennedy caught four passes playing in the slot for 36 yards and had a 21-yard punt return and a 27.0 average returning three kickoffs.

"Jamo stepped up," Campbell said. "I thought he was electric. He made a lot of big plays for us. That was good to see, and we thought he would. Get it in his hands, I wish we could've got it in his hands more."

RAGNOW TO RETURN

Detroit's four-time Pro Bowl center and three-time All Pro Frank Ragnow, who announced his retirement from the NFL in June, is coming out of retirement and will join the Lions for their playoff push the last two months of the season, Campbell confirmed after Thursday's game.

"Yeah, fired up. Fired up to get Frank back," Campbell said. "He wants to play, he wants to be a part of it, he misses the game, he misses his teammates. And so, we're really fired up.

"He brings a good football player, a lot of production back to that O-line and the game itself. But he's also a great teammate. He was one of our captains, so he brings a lot to our team."

It's unclear how long it will take Ragnow to acclimate back into football shape and return to the lineup. Ragnow is currently on the Exempt/Commissioner Permission List.

His eventual return is expected to have a huge impact on Detroit's offensive line. He's been one of the best centers in the game since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2018, and that's a huge addition for Detroit to get back for the stretch run.

View photos from the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Week 13 game at Ford Field on Thursday, November 27 in Detroit.

EXTRA POINT

  • Williams had a 22-yard touchdown catch Thursday and now has 11 touchdown receptions of 20-plus yards since 2024, the most in the NFL during that span. Williams now has 18-career scrimmage touchdowns, averaging 37.2 yards per score.

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