It was a game of mistakes, missed opportunities and penalties. It was
typical Raiders football.
Coaching his first regular-season game in the NFL, 32-year-old Lane
Kiffin watched his team trail for 56 minutes and 32 seconds on Sunday.
Only for a short stint midway through the fourth quarter did Oakland
hold a lead, 21-20. The one-point lead didn't last but four minutes.
In the end, it was the Detroit Lions' high-powered passing game and the
Raiders' mistake-prone offense that decided the outcome of the game.
The first half and much of the third quarter was dominated by Detroit's
'O', which had its way with the Raiders' highly regarded defensive
backfield. On the day, quarterback Jon Kitna completed 27 of 36 passes
for 289 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
The Raider secondary had no problems guarding one particular receiver on
Sunday. They had problems with all of them.
Shaun McDonald hauled in six passes for 90 yards; rookie Calvin Johnson
grabbed four for 70; slot receiver Mike Furrey caught five for 52; and
the 6-foot-3 Roy Williams snagged four for 20, including a touchdown.
Deceivingly, the Raiders' Josh McCown -- who was awarded the start over
veteran Daunte Culpepper just days before kickoff -- threw for more
yards than Kitna, connecting on 30 passes for 313 yards. The 28-year-old
hooked up with wideout Ronald Curry and halfback LaMont Jordan a
combined 19 times for 222 yards.
Two interceptions, three fumbles (two lost) and a handful of bad
decisions, though, will essentially overshadow McCown's stat line. The
215-pounder appeared hesitant and uncomfortable sitting in the pocket;
only when he moved outside of the pocket did he appear somewhat natural.
It wasn't all bad cornerback and quarterback play that hurt the Raiders,
however.
Three missed field goals by kicker Sebastian Janikowski (one blocked,
one from 46 yards and one from 57) left nine points stranded on the
board. Until a meaningless touchdown with just over a minute left in the
game, the teams were separated by just eight points.
The offensive line chipped in, too, with wannabe-wide receiver Robert
Gallery leading the way. No. 76 was penalized three times in the game,
twice for being ineligibly downfield on a pass play. In all, Oakland was
penalized eight times for 50 yards; over half came from the O-line.
As inconsistent as Oakland played, the game could have potentially ended
-- or unfolded much differently -- with just one tackle.
Down by one, faced with a third-and-9 play from the Oakland 45, Kitna
connected with McDonald about 3 yards short of the first-down marker.
Standing between him and a fresh set of downs was Raider defensive back
Hiram Eugene, who missed an arm tackle, allowing McDonald to gain 13 yards.
One play later, Kitna hit McDonald again, this time for six points and
the lead.
On the ensuing drive, McCown would fumble on the first play to end the
Raiders' final comeback attempt.
Next week, Oakland will travel to Denver to meet with the 1-0 division
rival Broncos.
• Raiders' Week 1 studs:
3. LaMont Jordan: Racked up 159 all-purpose yards and one touchdown.
2. Kirk Morrison: Recorded nine solo tackles and one interception
1. Ronald Curry: Grabbed 10 receptions for 133 yards and one touchdown.
• Raiders' Week 1 duds:
3. Robert Gallery: High hopes at left guard quickly turned sour.
2. Sebastian Janikowski: Two missed field goals and one blocked attempt
had fans booing early.
1. The secondary: 289 passing yards against isn't how you defend a top
ranked-spot in the NFL.
