Five Key Matchups to Watch in Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns

Oct 6, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson watches the Lions warm up before game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Johnson is inactive for the game with an injury. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Any football coach will tell you the key to winning games is beating the man in front 0f you.

That means winning one-on-one matchups. Coaches do what they can to put their players in position to win matchups, but ultimately it comes down to each individual player executing their game plan in the face of someone trying to force them out of it.

Of course, in a game that’s 11-on-11 every play, obviously not every matchup is one-on-one. Sometimes they can be two-on-one, or unit-on-unit. The beauty of the game is that these things can change so seamlessly from play to play.

But regardless of what the configuration, here are the matchups the Detroit Lions will need to win if they want to have a shot against the surprisingly formidable Cleveland Browns this weekend.