*Big day for Duckett as Lions down Chiefs*
DETROIT (Ticker) -- First coach Rod Marinelli broke two projectors. Then his team broke its six-game losing streak.
T.J. Duckett rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown as the Detroit Lions beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 25-20, on Sunday.
Duckett rushed 15 times, including a 53-yard burst in the third quarter that set up a field goal, for the Lions, who finally reached their seventh win of the season after seven tries - their highest win total in seven seasons under team president Matt Millen.
"It's huge, just to get back on track," Duckett said. "We've had a rough last six weeks and we just wanted to focus on fundamentals and just focus on doing what we could just to improve ourselves and get over the mistakes we were making."
Defensive tackle Cory Redding said Marinelli meant business this past week.
"I'm dead serious. He broke two machines last week," Redding said. "That's a payroll deduct. It might not hurt him, but he broke two machines, the overhead machines, showing stuff on the field. He broke them."
Marinelli didn't talk much about the broken projectors, but he did address the way his team finished with a winning home record.
"It is big, especially going 5-3 at home," Marinelli said. "I think that was really important. That is something that I wanted to do - a winning record at home. These fans have been special all year."
Detroit (7-8) opened the scoring with 2:03 left in the opening quarter when Duckett rumbled through the right side for an 11-yard score.
The Lions added two more points on the ensuing possession when Casey FitzSimmons blocked Dustin Colquitt's punt attempt, which was knocked out of the end zone for a safety.
"We had a feeling they might do that," FitzSimmons said. "The guy slipped out and I just came running through there and nobody blocked me. It was pretty easy to block the punt."
A 46-yard field goal from Jason Hanson and Paris Lenon's 61-yard interception return pushed the advantage to 19-0 with 9:00 remaining in the opening half.
"I just read the quarterback, broke on his eyes," Lenon said of his first career score. "I got there and he went right for (Tony) Gonzalez. I just undercut that throw, got the ball and just started running."
Strong safety Bernard Pollard's interception set up Kansas City's second scoring drive of 77 yards.
Damon Huard completed 6-of-7 passes in the drive, including a 1-yard toss to defensive end Jared Allen for the touchdown to cut it to 19-14 with 23 seconds left in the opening half.
Allen, the Chiefs' Pro Bowl defensive lineman, lined up as the tight end in the short-yardage situation. It was Allen's second touchdown reception of the season.
"Whatever I can do to help the team win," Allen said. "Eventually we're going to win one. We got close but no cigar."
Chiefs starting quarterback Brodie Croyle left the game with an apparent right hand injury after the interception by Lenon.
Kansas City had a chance to tie the game, going for the two-point conversion after Huard's 34-yard touchdown pass to rookie Dwayne Bowe with 13:28 remaining.
But Huard's pass was batted down by Detroit's Jared DeVries to preserve the Lions' 22-20 lead.
Hanson connected on three field goal attempts in the game, including a 47-yarder with 43 seconds remaining that provided Detroit with some insurance.
Huard completed 24-of-36 passes for 305 yards and two scores for the Chiefs (4-11), who absorbed their eighth straight defeat.
"It's tough," Huard said. "Anytime, especially when you battle back the way we did and come up short in the fourth quarter. It's very frustrating."
Kansas City's final opportunity ended when Samie Parker fell to the ground after receiving a lateral with no time left on the clock.
"We got some opportunities," Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said. "We've had that every week, we just couldn't find a way to get it done."
Gonzalez had 10 catches for 137 yards for the Chiefs. It was the Pro Bowl tight end's 23rd 100-yard game, moving him one behind NFL record-holder Kellen Winslow Sr.
"At this point in my career I feel like those records are going to come," Gonzalez said. "It's all about winning at this point."
