Tale of the Tape: Who Holds Edge in Lions-Browns Matchup?

The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns are entering their showdown Sunday each coming off of emotional victories.

Detroit toppled Baltimore in a primetime showdown Monday, while the Browns used a late surge to steal victory from the jaws of defeat against Green Bay. Now, both teams are looking to continue their momentum surges in Sunday’s head-to-head meeting. 

The Lions boast an exciting and versatile offense, while the Browns counter with a dominant defense. As a result, their meeting will be a trademark clash of the unstoppable force pitted against the immovable object.

Here is a breakdown of who has the edge in a variety of key matchups between the Lions and Browns ahead of Sunday’s game. 

Lions offense vs. Browns defense

The Browns’ defense made a statement in Week 3 in holding the Green Bay Packers to 10 points and stealing a win. Myles Garrett is the headliner as the team’s top EDGE rusher, but there’s no question that a game such as Cleveland’s last week is a group effort. 

Cleveland’s defense has a whopping 50 percent three-and-out rate, which is elite. As a result, the showdown between the Lions’ vaunted offense and Cleveland’s defense, specifically in the trenches, should be fascinating.

Detroit’s overall array of skill players is tough for any team to match up with, but Cleveland has the horses defensively to keep it in check. Along with their performance against Green Bay, the Browns’ defense limited Baltimore to 10 points in the first half and 17 through three quarters before a 21-point fourth quarter explosion widened the margin of victory.

A slight edge goes to the Lions because of the overall depth at running back, wide receiver and tight end, but moving the ball consistently against the Browns will be much easier said than done if the first three weeks are any indication.

Edge: Lions

Browns offense vs. Lions defense

The Browns’ offense has been a stark opposite of their defense, as Joe Flacco and company have struggled to get going. Flacco has an average yards per attempt of 5.0, which ranks 31st in the league. 

As a result, Detroit shutting down Cleveland’s run game would go a long way toward stifling the Browns’ offense. Rookie Quinshon Judkins has been solid, averaging 5.5 yards per carry in his two games. Detroit ranks just outside the top 10 in run defense and had a strong showing against Derrick Henry aside from one big run.

Ultimately, the Lions found pieces to put their pass-rush together even with Marcus Davenport on injured reserve. Al-Quadin Muhammad has been a revelation and ranks highly among pass-rushers early in the year, and Flacco is not near his most mobile self at age 40.

Detroit will have the ability to make Cleveland one dimensional by stifling Judkins and the run game, and that could make all the difference in a game where the offense will certainly be tested.

Edge: Lions

Quarterbacks

Goff and Flacco are two well-seasoned veterans who have experienced plenty of highs and lows in their careers. Sunday’s game will be Flacco’s 200th as an NFL quarterback, while Goff has begun his 10th NFL season. 

At this stage, Goff is much further ahead in terms of performance than Flacco, though the 40-year-old has had some bright moments. He did enough to help his team upset the Packers last week. Still, he has thrown two touchdowns against four interceptions through three games and efficiency has been a struggle at times.

Flacco is still leading the charge, though the Browns drafted two quarterbacks this year and could turn things over to Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders at some point this season. Goff, meanwhile, once again played at a high level against a good Baltimore team and is capable of pressing all the right buttons even against a defense like Clevelands.

Edge: Lions