SPOTLIGHT : TONIGHT’S GAME

New York Giants at Washington, 6 p.m., Channel 7--Super Bowl memories are fading fast for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

The Giants’ current roster features 14 players who didn’t play against the Redskins when the teams opened the season last year. Washington, meanwhile, released several old-timers and imported nearly a dozen fresh faces in an effort to improve on last season’s 7-9 finish.

The results of both team’s off-season housecleaning will be on display when the Giants and Redskins open their season at RFK Stadium. The game will kick off the 20th anniversary of ABC’s Monday Night Football.

The Giants enter the game without 22 of the players who excelled in the 1986 season, when New York won its only Super Bowl. Gone are Harry Carson, George Martin, Jim Burt and several other members of what once was a stellar defense. Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks are still around, but their linebacking companions include former free agents Steve DeOssie and Johnie Cooks. The offensive line is young and the defense is woefully lacking in depth.

“We’re still in transition, without question,” Coach Bill Parcells said. “The idea is to not slip too far while you’re doing it.”

The Giants won 10 games last year, but missed the playoffs for a second straight year.

“When you lose Carson and Martin and Burt and Kenny Hill and replace them with guys who haven’t played, there’s going to be a dropoff,” Parcells said.

Washington, Super Bowl champions two seasons ago, slumped miserably last year. Too many turnovers, too many injuries and too many close losses left the Redskins out of the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

In an effort to turn things around, Gibbs said goodbye to veterans Dave Butz, Mel Kaufman and R.C. Thielemann and welcomed a host of rookies, including two 12th-round picks, running back Joe Mickles and tight end Jimmie Johnson. The biggest change occurred on offense, where trades enabled the Redskins to acquire Gerald Riggs and Earnest Byner.