Detroit Lions notes: Ziggy Ansah turns on the power; Slay, Swanson practice again

FILE - In a Monday, Dec. 26, 2016 file photo, Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass as Detroit Lions' Ezekiel Ansah (94) pressures int he first half of an NFL football game, in Arlington, Texas. Staying healthy is the top priority for the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys (13-2) when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles (6-9) on Jan. 1 because they already clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. But Prescott prefers playing over resting. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)
Dallas Cowboys' Ryan Davis (75) tries but is unable to keep Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford (9) out of the end zone for a touchdown as Anquan Boldin (80) celebrates in the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 26, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

By Paula Pasche | The Oakland Press

PUBLISHED: December 29, 2016 at 3:09 p.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 6:36 a.m.

ALLEN PARK >> With sacks in back-to-back games, it appears Ziggy Ansah is getting back to his old sacking self.

The Lions defensive end missed three games early in the season including the Week 3 loss at Green Bay with an ankle.

He didn’t appear to have all his power back until recently.

“Probably a few weeks back you could kind of see a noticeable difference just in terms of his power that he typically utilizes during a course of a game,” coach Jim Caldwell said on Thursday. “But he’s been steadily just playing better and better, but I think oftentimes when they look at him and watch his effectiveness, they always just look strictly at sack numbers. But I mean, like last week, he had seven tackles and oftentimes those tackles he makes (are) on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He makes a lot of great plays for us, so I don’t think you can just strictly judge it by the fact that a couple games in a row he’s got a couple sacks, so hey, maybe he’s back. He’s been doing a lot of things for us even before those sack totals started to increase.”

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin agrees with Caldwell’s assessment.

Ansah, who had 14.5 sacks in 2015, was picking up assists before his first sack which was against the Giants two weeks ago.

“He’s been doing well before the sacks started coming, you could see him getting pressure on quarterbacks,” Austin said. He always sets the edge for us, he does a good job so I think it’s just natural that it’s going to happen. He is, he’s a good player.”

Ansah needs a good game against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday night.

Ins and outs

Cornerback Darius Slay and center Travis Swanson were back at practice on Thursday for the second straight day. Both were limited.

Running back Theo Riddick (wrist) and wide receiver Andre Roberts (shoulder) remained out.

Slay missed the game at Dallas with a hamstring injury. No one is saying if he will play on Sunday night,

“Encouraged. Always encouraged and happy when you have your good players out there,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said about having Slay at practice.

Swanson has missed three games due to a concussion.

“I think Swanson played at a really high level this year,” Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “He was really getting better, really playing at a higher level. We’ll evaluate that moving forward, but to get a guy like that back would be beneficial.”

DeAndre Levy (knee) continues to practice in a limited role.

Boldin ‘a force multiplier’

Anquan Boldin arguably was the Lions’ best offseason signing.

The wide receiver, who is 36 and in his 14th NFL season. In the first 15 games he has 63 catches for 527 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns.

Jim Caldwell says it goes beyond the stats with Boldin.

“The tone that he sets just in terms of his preparation, he is a guy that studies extremely hard. And not only that, he’s a guy that you only find a few of them per team. On our own team I think we have quite a few, but he’s one of those guys. I would refer to him as a force multiplier. He can get guys to follow and makes a tremendous difference. So it’s a lot more than just the X and O part of it,” Caldwell said.

Boldin, who signed a one-year $2.75 million deal, can become a free agent.

His age should not be an impediment.

“I think he can go as long as he wants to,” Caldwell said.

Big-time ratings

The Lions will play in their second nationally televised game in six days when they face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

The ratings for the loss on Monday night at Dallas was ESPN’s highest-rated and most-viewed Monday night telecast since the Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys Monday night game on Oct. 27, 2014, which delivered a total live audience of 19,083,000 average viewers and an 11.4 US household rating.

The Lions-Cowboys game drew a total live audience (TV and streaming) of 18,964,000 average viewers and a 10.1 rating.

The live audience was an 18-percent gain from last year’s Monday night regular season finale which featured the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Denver Broncos.

It’s not necessarily love for the Lions that boosted the ratings. It marked the sixth time in ESPN’s 11 seasons of televising Monday Night Football that a Cowboys game was ESPN’s highest-rated and most-viewed Monday Night Football game of the season.