SEATTLE (AP) -- The Detroit Lions started the day without Barry Sanders and then lost Herman Moore early in the game.

	The Lions' Germane Crowell hauls in a TD pass in front of Seahawks cornerback Shawn Springs.

It didn't discourage the Lions, who got three touchdown passes from Charlie Batch in the first half and spoiled Mike Holmgren's debut in Seattle with a 28-20 victory over the Seahawks on Sunday.

"Everybody in the world thought they (the Seahawks) would win the ball game," Batch said. "I think it's a shock for everyone. But it wasn't a shock for us."

Playing for the first time in 11 seasons without the retired Sanders, Detroit also had to play most of the game without its star receiver, Moore. He was injured in the first quarter and could not continue, snapping his streak of 107 straight games with a reception.

Moore, who is expected to be out for about four weeks, said the NFL is about to find out about Germane Crowell, a 1998 second-round draft choice from Virginia who caught two touchdown passes.

"He had a tremendous game," Moore said. "He's a guy we all have a lot of confidence in. Right now, people don't know a lot about him. But they're about to find out."

Batch threw TD passes of 16 yards and 41 yards to Crowell and 5 yards to David Sloan in the second quarter, when the Lions scored 22 points.

Sanders stepped away from the NFL this summer needing only 1,458 yards to overtake Walter Payton as the career rushing leader. The Lions were 5-11 with him last season and they played like they had something to prove in their opener.

Lions coach Bobby Ross said his players responded to the challenge of winning without Sanders and Moore.

"You've got to play up to your capabilities," Ross said. "If we do that this season, we can be competitive."

GAME NOTES

The opener was the start of the Seahawks' last season in the Kingdome. After the season, the Kingdome will be torn down to make way for a new football stadium for the franchise. Ron Rivers, Detroit's No. 1 running back with the retirement of Sanders, gained 96 yards on 16 carries. He was upset that he didn't get more. "I was really upset that I was in and out and back in and then out early in the game," Rivers said. "I want to be the man. I've been here six years. It's my time to shine." Seattle starting right offensive tackle Todd Weiner went out in the second quarter with a high ankle sprain. The Seahawks also lost starting receiver Charles Jordan, who had a left hamstring injury in the first quarter. He did not return.

Batch completed 16 of 26 passes for 216 for three touchdowns with one interception. Crowell had his first 100-yard receiving day, catching seven passes for 141 yards and two scores.

Seattle received a scare late in the first half when its Pro Bowl outside linebacker, Chad Brown, had to leave the field in an ambulance with a neck injury. He was taken to Harborview Hospital for X-rays, and the Seahawks said all neurological signs were positive.

"I think Chad is OK," Holmgren said.

In addition to Brown, the Seahawks lost reserve cornerback and special teams player Fred Thomas, who broke his right fibula on the opening kickoff of the second half. Thomas was scheduled to undergo surgery after the game.

"I was trying to make a tackle, some players fell on my leg, I heard it pop and that was it," Thomas said.

A red-faced Holmgren watched with his arms folded as Seattle struggled against the Lions' defense until late in the third quarter.

Jon Kitna threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Sean Dawkins with 3:29 left in the third period and found Dawkins with a 3-yard TD pass with 7:11 left to cut Detroit's lead to 25-20.

The Lions then took the ball and drove it to the Seattle 31 before Jason Hanson kicked his second field goal, a 49-yarder, with 2:10 left to give his team an eight-point lead.

It was a disappointing start for Holmgren, who is trying to turn around a Seattle franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since 1988. He jumped from Green Bay to the Seahawks in January, signing a $32 million, eight-year contract that made him the highest paid coach in the NFL.

"You can't start a game like we did and expect to win any game," Holmgren said. "But I was pleased with the effort in the second half."

The Seahawks' first touchdown came on a 40-yard interception return by cornerback Willie Williams in the second quarter.

Seattle killed itself with mistakes in the first half, when the Lions took a 25-7 lead.

A fumble by Dawkins that was recovered by Mark Carrier at the Seattle 32 set up a 51-yard field goal by Hanson with 2:54 gone.

Detroit's second TD, the 5-yarder from Batch to Sloan, came after rookie punt returner Charlie Rogers and the Lions' Brock Olivo recovered at the Seattle 5. The Lions made it 16-0 two plays later with 4:34 gone in the second period.

Detroit made it 18-0 58 seconds later when Deems May centered the ball over the head of punter Jeff Feagles deep in the end zone.

Moore sprained his left knee when he fell awkwardly after being hit by guard Tony Semple. He will undergo an MRI in Detroit on Monday.

"The situation with my knee is a downer," he said. "But I can't sit around and mope."