Thats what it most often comes down to when two NFL teams meet.
On Sunday, Charles Woodsons talent prevailed again.
The Green Bay Packers were perilously close to having their 19-game home winning streak against the Detroit Lions snapped at Lambeau Field, until the former Wolverine decided enough was enough and put the game in his pocket.
He did it with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter and with a pair of pass breakups on the Lions final two offensive plays of the night. The Packers won, 28-26.
What can I say? safety Nick Collins said. Hes a great player. Im just glad to be a part of what hes doing. To be dominant year in and year out, its hard. Every year he brings something new to his game.
Woodson was given the assignment of covering the Lions Calvin Johnson wherever the enormously talented receiver went.
Johnson got the best of him in the first half with five catches for 72 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown at the end of the half in which Johnson simply out-leaped him for the ball.
Woodson also had an 11-yard pass interference penalty.
The Lions short-passing game also put Woodson in position to come off of Johnson and take on ball carriers in the open field.
Though he missed a tackle on running back Kevin Smith and had to work to get tight end Brandon Pettigrew down, he led all tacklers with 10 in the first half.
Hes always around the ball, coach Mike McCarthy said. I dont know how many tackles he had today, but my goodness. I know he had to have a bunch of them.
Woodson went from tackler to game breaker at the start of the first half when quarterback Shaun Hill and Johnson messed up the timing on a slant route.
Woodson scraped the ball off the ground. He took off down the right sideline, holding the ball like a loaf of bread before diving in from a couple of yards out for the touchdown.
It was a milestone touchdown for Woodson in a number of ways.
It was the 10th interception return for a touchdown in his career, moving him into third place in NFL history behind Rod Woodson (12) and Darren Sharper.
It was his eighth interception return for a touchdown with the Packers, breaking Herb Adderleys team mark of seven, and his ninth defensive touchdown, which further extends his club record.
It was the third consecutive season in which he has had an interception return for a touchdown against Detroit, making him the first player in NFL history to pull the trifecta against an opponent.
I know where Im at as far as how many touchdowns I have, so it was big today for me to get to 10 career, Woodson said.
For the Packers defense, which played an exhausting 78 snaps, the game came down to a final Lions series inside Packers territory. The Lions needed a field goal to win it and on second and 9 at the 37, they were still too far away for a Jason Hanson attempt.
Johnson lined up on the left side of the formation and ran a slant with Woodson trailing. As the ball arrived, Woodson stuck out his right hand and deflected it to force third down.
On the next play, Johnson lined up on the right side and ran a slant again. This time, Woodson bumped him right up to the legal 5-yard zone and draped his arms around Johnson, causing an incompletion. The Lions wanted pass interference, but the officials let the contact go.
It was just a slant, and I was able to get my hands on the ball and get it out, keep it from being a completion, (and them) getting closer to field goal position, Woodson said. It was one of those things, you read your keys, you go back to your film and look at the offensive set and you can anticipate some things.
You never know for sure if thats exactly what theyre going to do. But its all about preparation. You put yourself in position to make a play.