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Kitna, Lions hold off Raiders' late charge

Sep 10, 2007 - 2:10 AM By Neil Berman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - In a season-opening battle between the two worst teams in the NFL last season, Jon Kitna hit Shaun McDonald with a 32-yard touchdown as the Detroit Lions turned back a furious rally by the Oakland Raiders to post a 36-21 victory on Sunday.

Former Lion Josh McCown brought the Raiders back from a 17-0 deficit, guiding Oakland to three touchdowns to take a 21-20 edge with 7:49 left on a 7-yard toss to Justin Griffith.

The Raiders (0-1) could not stop the Lions offense, however.

Kitna made a first great step in his promise of a 10-win season. He went 27-of-36 for 289 yards with three scores and two interceptions for Detroit (1-0).

While the Raiders' No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell remains unsigned, second overall pick Calvin Johnson delivered on his enormous promise in his NFL debut, catching four balls for 70 yards and a touchdowns in the third quarter to help the Lions take a 17-0 advantage.

"It was everything I expected and more," Johnson said. "It was a lot of fun. I caught the ball and there was a hole, and I just dove into the end zone."

"He played the way we expected him to play as the No. 1 pick," Kitna said. "He's been working his tail off in practice, getting comfortable, and boy, he can cover some ground in a hurry. He is hard to tackle also."

Detroit's Roy Williams finished with four catches for 20 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. McDonald had the biggest day, catching six passes for 90 yards, including the go-head score late in the fourth quarter.

"They are going to be hard to deal with for teams," Kitna said about his receivers. "It is going to be important, as the quarterback not to get greedy, because there are going to be passes there and guys open. It is all about playmakers making plays."

"Last year we lost 10 games in the last two minutes, the key is how we finish games," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "I think we are extremely well-conditioned, and we were really in shape. I think this win solidifies the things we are trying to do."

Detroit's defense bothered McCown, who was traded along with Mike Williams to Oakland in the offseason for a fourth-round pick, holding the Raiders scoreless through the first two quarters.

McCown completed 30-of-40 passes for 313 yards, and was booed throughout much of the thir quarter as Raiders fans clamored for offseason acquisition Daunte Culpepper to enter.

"They (the fans) pay money for their tickets, and they have a right to do whatever they want to do," McCown said. "I know I am going to go out there, and give them everything I have. I don't leave anything on the field. I don't really get to caught up in it, because I am putting everything I have out there."

"Even though the crowd wanted (Culpepper), Josh is our guy now, and we were pleased with a number of things he did," Raiders rookie coach Lane Kiffin said. "We are going to stay with him for now."

McCown turned those boos into cheers during a 10-minute stretch between the third quarter and fourth quarters as the Raiders took a 21-20 lead.

"We did some good things, we got the lead, but we have got to finish," McCown said. "There are some things to be proud about, namely getting down 17-0 and getting back into the ballgame."

"Very happy with the way we battled back as a team," Kiffin said. "Obviously, we need to be more consistent, it was right there. We have to find a way to finish better than we did."

Ronald Curry was the biggest bright spot for the Raiders on offense, hauling in 10 passes for 133 yards, including a 42-yard reception in the third quarter to set up their first touchdown. His 4-yard reception capped a six-play, 62-yard drive at the 3:53 mark.

LaMont Jordan had 70 yards on the ground and caught eight passes for 77 and a score. Jordan's touchdown run was set up by Stanford Routt's interception.

Jason Hansen's second 46-yard field goal of the contest extended the Lions' lead to 20-14. Detroit's Dewayne White had the biggest defensive play of the game, intercepting McCown late in the final period to set up Hansen's 23-yard field goal for a 29-21 lead with 2:00 to play.

Raiders strong-legged kicker Sebastien Janikowski missed three attempts - of 47, 50, and 57 yards. His second kick was partially blocked by Lions tackle Shaun Rogers.