ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick is one of four players ruled out for Sundays game against the Los Angeles Rams.Riddick has missed all three days of practice this week with an ankle injury after scoring two touchdowns last Sunday against Philadelphia. He has become Detroits top running back with Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve.The Lions will also be without defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (shoulder), tight end Eric Ebron (knee/ankle) and linebacker DeAndre Levy (knee/quad).Lions coach Jim Caldwell acknowledged Friday the teams offense will shift a little bit with Riddick out of the lineup. He has 50 carries for 171 yards and 26 receptions for 190 yards and three touchdowns this season.Hes got a uniqueness, which is obvious. You just dont find many guys, check through the history, that do what he does, Caldwell said. We do have, if he cannot go for whatever reason, we do have a number of guys that I think are capable of doing the things that we need to get done.We may not do exactly the same things we do with him, but in terms of our offensive scheme, it doesnt shut down a whole area of our offense. We just have to maybe do it a little different way.Rookie running back Dwayne Washington, who is listed as questionable with an ankle injury after missing last week against the Eagles, will likely fill in for Riddick along with newly signed Justin Forsett and second-year pro Zach Zenner.Meanwhile, the Lions will likely get their best defensive player back Sunday.Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah said his ankle has been feeling good and said he would be ready to go if he is active Sunday against the Rams. He is officially listed as questionable.Ansah has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain -- an injury he suffered on the first series of the second week of the season against Tennessee. He had not been seen at a Detroit practice since until Wednesday, when he practiced on a limited basis.He participated in all three days of Lions practice this week and Caldwell said Ansah is going to be a captain against the Rams as long as he keeps progressing on the ankle as he has been. Caldwell said Friday that Ansah has been trending in the right direction.Physically, Im able to walk now so I feel good, Ansah said. Ive been out there trying to run around a little bit. But right now Im just trying to work as hard to do my best to come out there.In Ansah, Detroit would get its most productive pass-rusher back. He had 14.5 sacks last season and has 30 sacks in the first three-plus seasons of his career.Hes a Pro Bowl player and you miss those guys. Youd like to say you dont miss them, and weve had guys that have done an outstanding job in his absence, but theyre not Ziggy, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. Hes a special skill set. I mean you look throughout the league, theres not a lot of guys like him, you know, 6-5, 270, run the way he does, plays as hard as he does.So we miss him and whenever we get him back, well be glad to have him back, thats for sure.Both of Detroits starting guards -- Laken Tomlinson (neck) and Larry Warford (hip) -- are listed as questionable, as are defensive tackle AShawn Robinson (shoulder), wide receiver Anquan Boldin (ankle) and safety Don Carey (ribs). Jordan Richards Jersey . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Steve Grogan Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. http://www.patriotsauthenticshop.com/Patriots-Adam-Butler-Draft-Jersey/ . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. Matthew Slater Jersey . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. LaAdrian Waddle Jersey . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. So much discussion this week as we enter the second round of NASCARs playoffs has been about the effects the third and final race of this round on competitors.That race, of course, is Talladega!No team wants to pin its hopes on a perfect restrictor-plate performance, because most know perfect doesnt exist at NASCARs largest track.Talladega can be summarized by this: 95 percent of the race is rehearsal and the last 5 percent is where the chess match is played, and settled.Because of this unique form of competition, there is an elevated urgency to capitalize at Charlotte and Kansas leading up to Talladega.Martin Truex Jr. demonstrated in May at this track how one can control their own destiny. A fast car, a precise pit crew, a focused driver guided by a very wise crew chief.It resulted in a dominant win.All of those same ingredients guarantee little at Talladega, where a spotter might actually become the key component in determining a drivers fate.Those considered the fastest of the fast, Truex, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, need to capitalize this week and next to avoid entering Alabama with the same mindset one would carry to Las Vegas.Who Wins??This will be a heavyweight match between Harvick and Truex.Both teams are peaking at the most critical time, both drivers are the envy of others because it seems as though the No. 4 and the No. 78 carry speed and authority to each track regardless of its size and personality.The 1.5-mile racetracks are the most abundant on the schedule, they make up half of the Chase races and they are the strength of Harvick and Truex.Harvick gets the nod, barely, in what I believe will represent a preview between the two drivers most likely to battle for the title at a siimilar track in Miami.ddddddddddddAustin Dillon will be the surprise transfer to round three. Surprise because hes never won a Sprint Cup series race, and hes a driver few expected to make it out of Round 1.The No. 3 team didnt qualify for the Chase by mistake. It has had moments of brilliance and thats come at high-speed racetracks.Their finishes at these three tracks this year were strong, and Dillon with more than 100 cup races under his belt appears comfortable and confident.Because it has led only eight laps all season, its hard to make a statistical case for the 3 team being one of the eight best teams.But Im going with my gut on this one as I believe the team has enough inertia to power into the next round.As I so often say, the Chase format depends on an underdog being in the equation to be most entertaining. We had that with Chris Buescher to begin the playoffs.The role now belongs to the 26-year-old Dillon in the second round.The Bottom LineIn sports youre taught dont look too far ahead, focus on whats in front of you: this game, this matchup, this race.The risk with worrying about a particular event down the road usually comes in the form of making mistakes in the near term?This time of the season requires laser focus; you must plan your work and work your plan.The vulnerability of competing at Talladega in two weeks will more than likely lead to teams making some extreme decisions during the Charlotte and Kansas races.Some will be rewarded, while others will lead teams to exactly what they were attempting to avoid ... depending on a Talladega win to advance to the next round. 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