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Game-day details
Sun., 4:15 p.m. ET, Network Associates
Weather forecast from AccuWeather.com:
Intermittent clouds. High: 77. Low: 56.

Why To Watch

This game was supposed to be the coming out parties for the No. 1- and No. 2-overall picks from the 2007 draft, the Raiders' JaMarcus Russell and the Lions' Calvin Johnson. Russell still is trying to break the bank and hasn't signed, and Johnson remains a backup.

This game will feature one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. Jon Kitna, assuming his back spasms subside, will direct the Lions' potent attack against a solid Raiders defense. Raiders rookie coach Lane Kiffin, with Russell holding out, hasn't decided whether Daunte Culpepper or Kitna's former teammate, Josh McCown, will start at quarterback in Week 1. The Lions have major holes in the secondary, and Culpepper or McCown could have a lot of chances for big plays if the offensive line can hold up.

Lions Keys For Success


1. Establish Tatum Bell. Detroit picked up Bell from Denver in the trade for cornerback Dre Bly, and it's a good thing Bell was included in the trade. Bell enters the season as the starter, and offensive coordinator Mike Martz must get Bell going in the running game to keep the Raiders' defense honest. Guards Edwin Mulitalo, a free-agent pick up from Baltimore, and Damien Woody are road graders who can move defensive tackles Warren Sapp and Terdell Sands. With center Dominic Raiola chipping up to block undersized middle linebacker Kirk Morrison, the Lions can at least keep the Raiders from playing a designated pass defense every down.

2. Use Johnson from the slot. The Raider' Nnamdi Asomugha is a big cornerback who matches up favorably against Roy Williams. Fabian Washington has the size and speed to lock down Mike Furrey. By putting Johnson in the slot, he will have the advantage over nickel backs Duane Starks or Chris Carr. The Raiders might use safety Michael Huff in the slot to cover Johnson, but Johnson still would have the size and speed advantage. Look for him to have success with crossing routes and deep-in routes when the Lions use three-receiver sets.

3. Stay basic on defense. Lions coach Rod Marinelli learned the cover-2 scheme as an assistant in Tampa Bay. Against the Raiders, the Lions should not blitz much and just work on playing fundamentally sound. By playing gap-conscious defense with athletic linebackers Paris Leno, Boss Bailey and Ernie Sims, the Lions must make the Raiders nickel and dime their way down the field. Safeties Kenoy Kennedy and Idrees Bashir must keep the ball in front of them and simply make the sure tackle and not give up big plays.

Raiders Keys For Success


1. Get LaMont Jordan going early. Jordan was a lost soul last year under former coach Art Shell, and his numbers took a nosedive. New coach Lane Kiffin needs Jordan to be a major force, at least until backup Dominic Rhodes comes off his suspension. By using Jordan up the middle behind center Jake Grove and guards Robert Gallery and Cooper Carlisle, this will set up play-action passes later in the game.

2. Go deep. Owner/GM Al Davis always has favored the downfield passing game, and it has a great chance for success against Detroit in Week 1. The loss of Bly leaves Stanley Wilson and Fernando Bryant starting at cornerback. Bryant is a journeyman, and Wilson has yet to establish himself as top-notch cornerback. Look for Culpepper/McCown to throw vertical routes to Ronald Curry and Jerry Porter.

3. Blitz, blitz, blitz. The Lions have many offensive weapons with Williams, Furrey, Johnson and Shaun McDonald. But they lack a pass-catching threat at tight end and their running game is pedestrian without Kevin Jones, who is out with an injury. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan must get defensive ends Derrick Burgess and Quentin Moses in as many one-on-one rushing matchups as possible by blitzing safeties Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert. By forcing Jon Kitna's hand, Asomugha and Washington might get easy interceptions.

When the Lions Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME

All Mike Martz-run offenses use the passing game to open up the running game. With two powerful offensive guards, Damien Woody and Edwin Mulitalo, manning the interior of the offensive line, look for Martz to call inside or off-tackle runs to keep the Raiders defense packed inside. By using the strength of the guards to move Warren Sapp out of the way and then using Dominic Raiola to double-team Terdell Sands, this will allow halfback Casey Fitzsimmons to crack block on either outside linebacker Thomas Howard or Sam Williams. If Raiola can chip to middle linebacker Kirk Morrison, running back Tatum Bell can use his slashing run style to pick a lane inside -- and though he may not pick up huge yardage, he will force the Raiders safeties, Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert, to at least honor the inside run. The Raiders have enough speed at linebacker and safety to allow their front four to control the running game. With powerful defensive end Tommy Kelly crashing off the edge to disrupt running plays, and both Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington are good tackling cornerbacks. Advantage: Raiders

PASSING GAME

The Lions' passing game is based on timing routes. Jon Kitna has had a year under Martz�s tutelage and will look to take advantage of the Raiders' aggressive defensive play. By going three- or four-wide with receivers Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, Calvin Johnson and Shaun McDonald, Kitna can take advantage of mismatches in coverage. With Williams and Furrey driving the cornerbacks off the ball, Kitna will have the flats open to McDonald or Johnson. With Johnson in the slot, this will free up the center of the field deep for Williams as strong safety Michael Huff may be asked to cover Johnson. If Kitna can get into a rhythm early, the Lions will be able to use screens to Bell to take advantage of personnel mismatches. The Raiders need to blitz the linebackers as much as possible, especially the right side to free up Derrick Burgess. Cornerbacks Asomugha and Washington need to throw off the timing of the Lions offense by getting physical with the receivers at the line of scrimmage. This will buy Sapp and company a chance to get hits on Kitna. Advantage: Lions

THE BLITZ

The Raiders will attack the right side of the Lions' offensive line. With Burgess going man-to-man versus George Foster, this will leave Sapp man-to-man versus the slow-footed Woody. This will leave huge gaps for the outstanding blitzing linebackers to attack Kitna. Kitna must be smart and check to his hot reads, notably Furrey on a slant or Fitzsimmons to the flat. Bell is not adept at picking up blitzes, so the Lions may use backup T.J. Duckett in obvious blitzing situations to make the block. Advantage: Raiders

IN THE RED ZONE

Fades to the back of the end zone will be huge plays for the Lions in the red zone. With the leaping ability of both Williams and Johnson, look for Kitna to use his deft touch and accuracy to get the ball up high and let his receivers make plays. The Raiders have big enough corners in Asomugha and Washington to compete for these jump balls. The Raiders' front four, especially gigantic Sands, need to get their hands up and make Kitna put more air under the ball than he would like and throw the football out the back of the end zone. Advantage: Lions

When the Raiders Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME

The Raiders made all kinds of changes across their offensive line in the offseason to help get the running game going for the 2007 season. They moved former tackle Robert Gallery to guard, moved Barry Sims back to tackle from guard, signed former 49er Jeremy Newberry to compete with Jake Grove for the center position and inserted Cooper Carlisle in at right guard. With all these changes, this unit will need time to jell, but one of the fastest ways to come together as a unit is by playing smashmouth football. Lamont Jordan is one of the better running backs in the NFL and will be looking to re-establish himself under Lane Kiffin. The Raiders need to attack the interior of the Lions' defensive front, who are minus Pro Bowler Shaun Rogers. They must do this by using the size and strength of Gallery to blow undersized defensive tackle Cory Redding off the ball. With Grove or Newberry blocking back on defensive tackle Shaun Cody, Carlisle can use his foot quickness to climb up to the second level and pick off middle linebacker Paris Lenon. The Lions will need to get solid-tackling safety Kenoy Kennedy into the tackle box and keep Jordan from breaking into the open field. Advantage: Lions

PASSING GAME

Kiffin has installed a quick-hitting passing offense into the Raiders this season. But with the big arms of both Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown, Kiffin must work to exploit the deep ball versus the marginal CBs of the Lions. With receivers Ronald Curry, Jerry Porter, Travis Taylor and Mike Williams all having size advantages over the Lions cornerbacks, Fernando Bryant and Stanley Wilson, Kiffin can open up the underneath routes by going up top to spread out the Lions pass coverage. The deep ball always has been a staple of the Raiders, but by going up top early, this will cause the safeties Kennedy and Idrees Bashir to play deeper to take away the deep halves. Then Kiffin can come back to running slants, hitches and crossing routes over the middle. The Lions need to stay basic in coverage and let the safeties handle the back half. Bryant and Wilson must re-route the Raiders� receivers off the line of scrimmage. The onus will be on Sims, Lenon and Bailey to take away the inside routes of rookie tight end Zach Miller and Mike Williams. Advantage: Raiders

THE BLITZ

When the Lions do blitz, which will be rarely, look for them to attack the right side of the Raiders' offensive line. Right tackle Cornell Green is a journeyman player who is athletic but lacks strength. By sending Bailey or Sims off the edge, this should free up free agent pickup DeWayne White (Buccaneers) to get hits on the QB. Neither Culpeper nor McCown is adept at reading the blitz very well, so this will create opportunities for the Lions to create turnovers. But the Lions will need to blitz smartly because both Culpepper and McCown are athletic enough to escape pressure and pick up big chunks of yardage with their feet. Advantage: Raiders

The Bottom Line

Though both teams lack playmakers at tight end and running back, the Lions have too good of an offensive scheme for the Raiders to handle. The Raiders' defense, led by Warren Sapp and Burgess, will keep the team in the game for awhile, but the defense will be on the field too long to overcome a growing offensive scheme. Kitna will find a way to make a big play late in the game.

Pick: Lions 21, Raiders 17

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