PRO FOOTBALL / Week 3 : THE OTHER GAMES

GAME OF THE DAY Washington (2-0) at San Diego (1-1), 1 p.m. The Redskins’ difficult win over the Raiders cost them running back Kelvin Bryant and linebacker Mel Kaufman, and it’s still doubtful that anyone can stop the Charger offense. The Chargers stopped themselves with turnovers on all six second-half possessions against the Giants last week. Redskin quarterback Jay Schroeder is 7-1 as a starter. The game is a reunion of Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs and his former San Diego State and Charger coach, Don Coryell. Charger wide receiver Charlie Joiner, 38, needs 81 yards to top Don Maynard’s NFL record of 11,834 for receiving. OTHER INTERCONFERENCE GAMES Denver (2-0) at Philadelphia (0-2), 10 a.m. No emotional vendetta this week for cryin’ Buddy Ryan, but it’s the Eagles’ home opener and that could keep them on a high from the overtime loss at Chicago. The new 46 defense is still somewhat vulnerable to good passers such as John Elway, if Elway’s receivers can hang onto the ball and the officials don’t take any more touchdowns away. Eagle All-Pro safety Wes Hopkins may play despite a knee injury. The short week between East Coast games Monday night and today shouldn’t bother the Broncos. Pittsburgh (0-2) at Minnesota (1-1), 10 a.m. The Steelers have the league’s most accurate field goal kicker in Gary Anderson but they seldom get close enough for him to try one. The Vikings, however, allowed journeyman Steve DeBerg to have a --big day, so it could be Mark Malone’s turn. Viking quarterback Tommy Kramer is struggling with offensive coordinator Bob Schnelker’s new offense.St. Louis (0-2) at Buffalo (0-2), 10 a.m. The Bills look like a far better winless team than the Cardinals, who are stricken with dissension and injuries. The Bills still can’t stop anybody, but Jim Kelly has given them an offense and put life back into the franchise. AFC GAMES Seattle (2-0) at New England (2-0), 10 a.m. The Seahawks have the league’s top-ranked defense and have thrived on takeaways with eight, but the efficient Patriots have turned the ball over only once. Neither quarterback Tony Eason nor all-purpose running back Craig James has thrown an interception. The Patriots also haven’t allowed a touchdown, and even their special teams are turned on. Kicker Tony Franklin gave color TVs to everybody on the kicking team last week. Miami (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1), 10 a.m. Jet running back Freeman McNeil is out, and only three defensive backs are healthy as Miami’s Dan Marino enters the game needing to throw just eight passes to qualify as the NFL’s top-ranked passer of all time. He will replace Joe Montana at the top of the list. Jet quarterback Ken O’Brien and McNeil’s sub, Johnny Hector, could produce against the Dolphin run defense, and the banged-up Jets could benefit from 10 days off. Houston (1-1) at Kansas City (1-1), 1 p.m. After beating the Oilers last week, the Browns said Houston’s offense was predictable, that the Oilers ran 95% of the time on first down. Five turnovers didn’t help, either. Oiler Coach Jerry Glanville said, “We need to rethink our philosophy.” Why not pass? Warren Moon has started throwing interceptions again, but he hasn’t been sacked this season, and the Chiefs’ pass defense is a little beat-up. .NFC GAMES Atlanta (2-0) at Dallas (2-0), 10 a.m. The balance of this game shifted slightly late in the week when Cowboy quarterback Danny White was unable to practice because of a hip injury. His backup is Steve Pelluer. Otherwise, Coach Tom Landry seems to have found a way to keep Tony Dorsett happy and still get his money’s worth out of Herschel Walker, who has scored a touchdown from each of three positions. The Falcon defense (28.3 points allowed a game last season) has improved with first-round draft pick Tony Casillas, who is a force at nose tackle. And offensively, believe it or not, the Falcons lead the league in scoring and yardage. Quarterback David Archer has been effective passing, and he has the team’s only runs of more than 10 yards. Is he suddenly a superstar? Tampa Bay (0-2) at Detroit (1-1), 10 a.m. The Buccaneers seem headed for the league’s first draft choice for the second year in a row. Remember Bo Jackson? With their luck, they will probably draft a basketball player this time. Running back James Wilder is doubtful with a bruised breastbone, and Steve Young probably will replace the injured Steve DeBerg at quarterback. DeBerg shaved his beard after throwing seven interceptions against the 49ers, probably so nobody would recognize him. But last week he aggravated a summer puncture wound in his right elbow and didn’t practice this week. New Orleans (1-1) at San Francisco (1-1), 1 p.m. Now that Bill Walsh is totally committed to Jeff Kemp, we’ll see if he forces Kemp to play it close to the vest, as John Robinson did in ’84. Conservatism is not the 49ers’ style. Nobody knows what to make of the Saints after a loss to the Falcons and a rout of the Packers, but quarterback Bobby Hebert has been unimpressive. MONDAY NIGHT Chicago (2-0) at Green Bay (0-2), 6 p.m. Bear quarterback Jim McMahon gets $20,000 for a personal appearance these days, so he probably won’t make one here. Coach Mike Ditka wants to get past this one without risking McMahon’s injured shoulder, but the offense has suffered with the inexperienced Mike Tomczak running it. What will Ditka do? Only he knows for sure. Meanwhile, Packer quarterback Randy Wright is in good company. He and Dan Fouts each threw five interceptions last week. Comparisons end there, but in Wright’s last start against the Bears as a rookie in ‘84, he pulled off a 20-14 upset. These teams have played each other more than anyone else, with the Bears leading, 70-55-6. The young Packers may hit an emotional high at Lambeau Field with the annual homecoming of Packer alumni. Maybe they’ll let a few of them play. None have forgotten how the Bears humiliated them in last year’s hard-fought matches by letting William Perry score on a run in one game and on a pass in the other. Look for him to throw a pass this time. However, Perry’s fall guy, linebacker George Cumby, has been replaced by a bigger and meaner John Dorsey.