"I promise you: If I see him on the field again, I will try to take his head off," Lions center Dominic Raiola said Monday. "I'm serious."

The Lions were upset with how Hall, the Atlanta Falcons' Pro Bowl cornerback, hit quarterback Jon Kitna in Sunday's 30-14 victory over Atlanta, and they were inspired by how Kitna reacted.

Kitna started to slide at the end of a 17-yard scramble in the third quarter . Hall hit him on the left side of the helmet.

After Kitna pounced on linebacker Michael Boley , a scuffle ensued. Hall hit Kitna on the back of the head, sending Kitna's helmet flying and leaving scrapes on his face.

Raiola, a Saint Louis School alum, said something to Hall on the field—something he declined to repeat in front of TV cameras and reporters for family newspapers.

Hall was flagged for a personal foul. The Lions expect the NFL to discipline him further.

"I don't know if it's a fine or a suspension," wide receiver Roy Williams said. "You know how they deal with these quarterbacks, man. You can't even sack `em. That's roughing the passer."

Raiola said he got fired up thinking about the incident, and he seemed emotional as he discussed it in front of his locker.

"If it was clean, it was clean," Raiola said. "That's fine. But it wasn't nowhere near clean. ... That was definitely cheap. There was no reason. (Kitna) was in a defenseless position. His head was down. Obviously (Hall) was trying to take Kit out and inflict more pain."

Raiola said it was the second time in two weeks Hall had tried to hurt someone. He said in the Falcons' 29-27 victory Oct. 29, someone held up Cincinnati running back Rudi Johnson, and Hall took a shot at the back of Johnson's knees.

"He really disgusts me as a DB, as a cheap-shot artist," Raiola said. "If he thinks that's football, he's got another thing coming because I'm going to see him again."

Assuming they stay with their respective teams, Raiola could see Hall again as soon as next season. The Lions are scheduled to host the NFC South team that finishes in the corresponding division spot. The Lions are fourth in the NFC North, the Falcons second in the NFC South. In any event, the Lions are scheduled to visit Atlanta in 2008.

Raiola isn't concerned that his comments will end up on the Falcons' bulletin board.

"I don't care," he said. "Go ahead and put them up in their locker room."

He isn't concerned about Hall, either.

"DeAngelo Hall?" he said. "The least of my worries."

Hall left the Falcons' practice facility in suburban Atlanta before a reporter could ask him for a response. Kitna was unavailable for comment.

Kitna's teammates respected how he scrapped.

"He's got that fighter's mentality," left tackle Jeff Backus. "I don't think anybody can say now that he's a soft guy or he's a typical quarterback. He's not. I've never seen a quarterback go after a guy like he did."

They had a little fun with it, too. Third-string QB Dan Orlovsky gave Kitna a new nickname because the whole thing left a mark on Kitna's left cheek — and it kind of looked like the famous birthmark on the right cheek of the New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback.