PRO FOOTBALL / Week 5 : THE OTHER GAMES

GAME OF THE DAY Dallas (3-1) at Denver (4-0), 1 p.m. Cowboy quarterback Danny White strained a hip muscle in practice and was listed as “doubtful.” Tony Dorsett’s knee isn’t quite well. He was “questionable.” That may leave it up to Steve Pelluer and Herschel Walker, who leads the NFL by averaging 6.1 yards a rush but who will face the top-ranked rushing defense. The Cowboys have scored either a touchdown or a field goal each of the 19 times they’ve been inside the opponents’ 20 this season. The Broncos are 30-9 at Mile High Stadium under Coach Dan Reeves.

OTHER INTERCONFERENCE GAMES Cincinnati (2-2) vs. Green Bay (0-4) at Milw., 10 a.m. Randy Wright will start at quarterback, although the Packers, who have scored only two touchdowns this season, have little to lose by using new quarterback Chuck Fusina, a former USFL star they signed last week. Vince Ferragamo was cut, Wright obviously isn’t ready for the big leagues and Doug Flutie is being held hostage by the Rams. Linebacker John Anderson is gone with a broken leg, but running back Eddie Lee Ivery, who leads the league in injured reserve time, may be able to play.

Houston (1-3) at Detroit (1-3), 10 a.m. Neither has won since opening day, and the Lions’ new-found passing attack may be an illusion because most of Eric Hipple’s passes go to his overworked running back, James Jones. The Lions’ offensive line is beat up, and the Oilers’ overpriced unit isn’t much better, giving up 13 sacks in the last two weeks.

Indianapolis (0-4) at San Francisco (3-1), 1 p.m. Maybe it wasn’t Joe Montana, after all. With Jeff Kemp, the 49ers’ passing ranks second and their offense third overall. This one should end in a TKO. The Colts haven’t scored more than 10 points in any game and have little hope of holding the 49ers to that. The 49ers’ Roger Craig may sit this one out with a sore hip. Wendell Tyler is well but still on injured reserve.

NFC GAMES Philadelphia (1-3) at Atlanta (4-0), 10 a.m. The Eagles have met nothing but unbeaten teams this season. All but the Rams still are. Atlanta’s biggest problem now is learning how to play as the favorite. The Falcons lead the league in rushing and total offense, and David Archer is the third-rated passer (six touchdowns, one interception). The Eagle defense will be without All-Pro safety Wes Hopkins for three to five weeks after knee surgery.

Minnesota (3-1) at Chicago (4-0), 10 a.m. The Vikings rank first in total defense, but check out their opponents: Detroit, Pittsburgh and the horrible Bays, Green Bay and Tampa Bay. They won’t get respect until they stop Jim McMahon. The Vikings’ offense may be tougher. Several players, including quarterback Tommy Kramer, were fined a total of $5,200 for retaliating for late hits on Kramer by the Lions a month ago. The Bear defense also seems to have regained some of its ’85 intensity, although end Richard Dent is doubtful with a leg injury.

New York Giants (3-1) at St. Louis (0-4), 10 a.m. The Cardinals’ problems are all on offense, where the players are inept or injured. Their defense ranks third overall and first against the pass. The Giants will test it with their “Omen Backfield” featuring 6-5, 290-pound reserve lineman Damian (get it?) Johnson in short-yardage situations. Running back Joe Morris is due back after a mysterious, adverse reaction to medication, but top wide receiver Lionel Manuel is out with a knee injury.

Washington (4-0) at New Orleans (1-3), 10 a.m. The Saints’ best hope is that they can continue to be opportunistic. They lead the league with 12 pass interceptions, but the Redskins may need only hard-running George Rogers, who is facing his former team. The Saints drafted Rogers first in 1981 but traded him to keep Earl Campbell in ’85. The ‘Skins are using two kickers: Mark Moseley for short range and Steve Cox for long. They’re the only two straight-on kickers left in the league. The Saints rank last on offense and may not get any better with Dave Wilson at quarterback and tight end Hoby Brenner playing with a cast on his broken left hand.

AFC GAMES

Buffalo (1-3) at New York Jets (3-1), 1 p.m. Bill quarterback Jim Kelly complained in a team meeting that teammates weren’t standing up for him after late hits by Kansas City, but maybe they had a reason (see Minnesota, above). The Bills lost tough to the Jets, 28-24, in the opener. Pass rusher Mark Gastineau and runner Johnny Hector are due back for the Jets. Kicker Pat Leahy has hit on 19 straight field goal attempts.

Miami (1-3) at New England (2-2), 10 a.m. The Dolphins are all but defenseless, yielding a league-high 35.5 points per game, and their special teams are anything but special. Don Shula is experiencing his worst start in 17 seasons with the club. Each has lost its last two, but the Patriots seem most likely to snap their slump if they can quit blowing 10-point leads. Miami’s sole strength, the passing of Dan Marino, plays into the Patriots’ hands with their strong rush and close coverage.

Cleveland (2-2) at Pittsburgh (1-3), 10 a.m. The Browns are 0-16 at Three Rivers Stadium, and they’ll never have a better chance to break the jinx. Brown runner Kevin Mack is out again (shoulder), but what little passing threat the Steelers had diminished with the loss of John Stallworth (knee), and Louis Lipps is playing lame (hamstring). The Browns don’t throw much better but have a new talent in Gerald (Ice Cube) McNeil, their 5-7, 143-pound punt return dynamo.

MONDAY NIGHT San Diego (1-3) at Seattle (3-1), 6 p.m. Whoever thought they’d see the day (or night) when the Charger defense would be playing better than the offense? Dan Fouts has thrown 11 interceptions in the last three weeks, and the Chargers haven’t scored a second-half touchdown in the same span. The Chargers also have lost their last eight road games and six of their last seven games against the Seahawks. Runner/receiver Gary Anderson is playing hurt (hip). An aroused Kingdome crowd won’t make Fouts’ job any easier. But if the Chargers can get an early lead, they could take Seattle runner Curt Warner out of the game.