SPOTLIGHT : A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

TOP PERFORMANCES

Passing

Quarterback, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD JIM EVERETT, Rams 51 29 454 1 MARK RYPIEN, Redskins 47 30 401 4 WADE WILSON, Vikings 38 23 309 0 DON MAJKOWSKI, Packers 35 26 276 2 STEVE DeBERG, Chiefs 25 15 225 1 JOHN ELWAY, Broncos 19 10 217 4

Rushing

Player, Team Car. Yds. TD DALTON HILLIARD, Saints 24 112 0 JAMES BROOKS, Bengals 20 105 0 THURMAN THOMAS, Bills 26 100 0

Receiving

Player, Team No. Yds. TD FLIPPER ANDERSON, Rams 15 336 1 STERLING SHARPE, Packers 10 157 2 ART MONK, Redskins 9 152 2 GARY CLARK, Redskins 8 124 1 BRIAN BLADES, Seahawks 8 122 0 BILL BROOKS, Colts 8 101 1 MARK CARRIER, Buccaneers 8 90 1 AL TOON, Jets 8 86 1 HERMAN FONTENOT, Packers 8 58 0 VANCE JOHNSON, Broncos 6 154 2

BIG PLAYS

The Rams’ Flipper Anderson, who set an NFL record for single-game receiving with 336 yards, caught a 26-yard pass to set up Mike Lansford’s 31-yard field goal 6:38 into overtime. Anderson also set up the Rams’ first touchdown with a 46-yard catch late in the fourth quarter and scored the tying touchdown on a 15-yard pass play from Jim Everett.

The Rams’ Kevin Greene stopped running back Dalton Hilliard for a loss on third and one to kill New Orleans’ first drive of overtime, forcing a punt and setting up the Rams’ winning drive.

Dave Brown had two interceptions in the final four minutes as Green Bay upset Minnesota, 20-19. Brown is the NFL’s active interception leader and sixth all-time with 59 interceptions.

Jack Trudeau threw to Bill Brooks on a 25-yard touchdown pass play with 1:54 left to help Indianapolis beat San Diego, 10-6.

Vinny Testaverde, who completed only 19 of 42 passes for 200 yards and was sacked five times, threw to Mark Carrier on a five-yard touchdown pass play with 43 seconds left to give Tampa Bay a 14-13 victory over Phoenix.

The Raiders’ Jeff Jaeger kicked a 32-yard field goal with 5:57 remaining to give the Raiders their 24-21 victory over the Patriots.

The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked the Miami Dolphins from first place in the AFC East by scoring 34 points in 23 minutes, erasing a 14-0 deficit, thanks in part to five Miami turnovers inside the Dolphin 40-yard line.

LOWLIGHTS

Houston’s 34-0 loss to Kansas City was the first time the Oilers were shut out since losing 27-0 at San Diego on Dec. 7, 1986.

The Oilers, the most penalized team in the NFL, set a team record with 16 penalties for 115 yards, including 50 in the first quarter. They set the old record of 14 against Denver on Oct. 6, 1985.

Seattle quarterback Kelly Stouffer was sacked four times in the first half as Denver built a 38-0 lead on the way to a 41-14 victory. The Broncos sacked Stouffer and quarterback Dave Krieg eight times.

A few hundred fans wore black arm bands and there were about 50 hand-made signs around the Sun Devil Stadium supporting former Phoenix Coach Gene Stallings, who was fired by the Cardinals last week. Only 33,297 watched the game at the 74,724-seat stadium, the smallest crowd since the Cardinals moved to Phoenix from St. Louis in 1988. Tampa Bay beat the Cardinals, 14-13.

The New York Jets broke a five-game losing streak at home with a 27-7 win over Atlanta, but the game drew only 40,429 fans with 36,462 no-shows. It was the second smallest home crowd for the Jets since they moved to Giants Stadium in 1984.

STREAKS

Pittsburgh beat Miami, 34-14, to end the Dolphins’ three-game winning streak. The Steelers beat a Don Shula-coached team in Miami for the first time in seven tries.

The New York Jets won at home for the first time in five home games with a 27-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons were the perfect remedy for the Jets’ woes. New York had lost five consecutive games at home; the Falcons had lost six in a row on the road. The Jets broke their string with a 27-7 victory, extending Atlanta’s to seven. The Falcons are winless on the road this season.

Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood ran his string of consecutive extra-point kicks to 117 and games in which he has scored to 58, a club record, in the Bills’ 24-7 victory over the Bengals. Cincinnati had defeated the Bills the last five times the teams had played.

Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski completed his first 14 passes, finishing 26 for 35 for 276 yards and two touchdowns, in the Packers’ 20-19 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Majkowski has thrown touchdown passes in 14 consecutive games.

The Vikings were the only NFL team not to allow a 100-yard rusher, receiver or 300-yard passer before Green Bay’s Sterling Sharpe caught 10 passes for 157 yards.

Minnesota’s Anthony Carter caught six passes for 103 yards, giving him receptions in 61 consecutive games.

Kansas City kicker Nick Lowery kicked four extra points to give him 197 in a row, the longest active streak in the league, in the Chiefs’ 34-0 victory over the Oilers.

INJURIES

Miami quarterback Dan Marino, who bruised his ribs last week, hurt his right shoulder in the second quarter of the Dolphins’ 34-14 loss to Pittsburgh and left game late in the third.

Ram cornerback Clifford Hicks was sidelined on the third defensive play with a sprained right knee.

IN QUOTES

Mike Ditka after his Chicago Bears lost to the Washington Redskins, 38-14, to fall one game behind Green Bay and Minnesota in the NFC Central: “There’s nothing we can do this year. It’s over.”

More from Ditka: “I refuse to stand back and give credit to the other people because we are absolutely an atrocious football team right now. It’s a dark day for this organization. It was the worst exhibition of football I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Said New York Jet defensive end Ron Stallworth, after the Jets defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 27-7: “It’s nice to get a win anywhere, against anybody, with the kind of year we’ve had.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Bubby Brister, whose team routed the Dolphins, 34-14, in a rain-soaked game at Miami: “We practice in rain and snow in Pittsburgh all the time. We don’t go to an indoor facility. Coach just says get your butt out there and practice, so the weather didn’t bother us any.”

Pittsburgh running back Tim Worley: “We came back, and when we got on top, the Miami guys just quit.”

Dolphin linebacker Barry Krauss: “We just washed away with the rain.”

Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski, who played despite sore ribs and completed 26 of 35 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns in the Packers’ 20-19 victory over the Vikings: “A good tape job secured my ribs. I couldn’t practice (during the week) because of a lot of pain. But I had the adrenalin going right before the game. I wasn’t even sure I’d start until right before I started warming up.”

Tampa Bay quarterback Vinny Testaverde, telling his Buccanneer teammates about his five interceptions in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium: “I told the guys in the huddle, ‘Hey, I was here three years ago and I lost. Today will be a different outcome.’ After I said that, the guys told me later on they got chills.”

TOUCHDOWN CATCHES

All-time leaders in career touchdown receptions.

Name Years No. STEVE LARGENT 1976-1989 99 DON HUTSON 1935-45 99 DON MAYNARD 1958, 60-73 88 LANCE ALWORTH 1962-72 85 PAUL WARFIELD 1964-74, 76-77 85 TOMMY McDONALD 1957-68 84 ART POWELL 1959-68 81 CHARLEY TAYLOR 1964-75, 77 79 HAROLD CARMICHAEL 1971-84 79 FRED BILETNIKOFF 1965-78 76 HAROLD JACKSON 1968-83 76

MILESTONES

The Rams’ Flipper Anderson set an NFL record for single-game receiving with 336 yards. Anderson had 15 catches in Rams’ 20-17 overtime win over New Orleans.

Seattle’s Steve Largent scored on a 31-yard pass play from Dave Krieg in the Seahawks’ 41-14 loss to the Broncos. It was the 99th touchdown catch of Largent’s career, tying Don Hutson’s NFL record.

Denver (10-2) joined the 1988 Buffalo Bills as the only AFC teams to clinch division titles after 12 games of a 16-game season. It was Denver’s fourth consecutive victory, Seattle’s fourth loss in a row.

Cincinnati’s James Brooks ran for 105 yards in 20 carries in the Bengals’ 24-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, giving him 1,018 yards for the season. It is his second 1,000-yard season. He had 1,087 in 1986.

Buffalo’s Thurman Thomas ran for 100 yards in 26 carries, giving him 1,045 for the season. He is the sixth 1,000-yard rusher for the Bills.

Christian Okoye of Kansas City gained 67 yards against Houston, raising his season total to 1,043 and making him the first 1,000-yard rusher in the AFC. He is the fifth 1,000-yard rusher in Chief history, the first since Joe Delaney ran for 1,121 in 1981.

Washington’s Art Monk had nine catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the Redskins’ 38-14 victory over the Bears. Monk, a 10-year veteran, moved past Raymond Berry, Ozzie Newsome and Don Maynard into fourth place on the list of the NFL’s all-time receivers. Monk has 636 catches.

Raider backup receiver Mike Alexander scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on a 12-yard pass play from Steve Beuerlein in the Raiders’ 24-21 victory over the Patriots.

Patriots’ Steve Grogan passed for 179 yards and moved into No. 23 on the all-time NFL list, overtaking Jim Plunkett, whom he replaced as Patriot quarterback in 1975.

TONIGHT’S GAME

New York Giants at San Francisco, 6 p.m.--As quarterback Phil Simms of the New York Giants must know, some old quotes can’t haunt you. They are posted in the locker rooms of teams looking forward to their next game against you.

In this case, it’s the San Francisco 49ers, the Giants’ opponent tonight in a game matching division leaders with 9-2 records, best in the NFC. The Giants’ hopes of reaching the playoffs last year died on the final Sunday of the season when the Rams took the last available NFC wild-card spot with a 38-16 victory over the 49ers. Simms was quoted as saying the 49ers “laid down like dogs.”

He’s sure to have jeering fans, reminding him of his 11-month-old comment tonight at Candlestick Park.

The 49ers, who were assured of the NFC West title before their final game, went on to win their third NFL title under coach Bill Walsh, who retired after the Super Bowl.

George Seifert, who replaced Walsh, has the league’s top-ranked offense, one led by passing leader Joe Montana and receiving star Jerry Rice.

Montana, the two-time Super Bowl most valuable player, went over the 30,000-yard mark for his career last week. He has 19 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. Rice, the Super Bowl most valuable player last January, has 14 touchdowns and 1,149 yards on his 1989 catches and receiving totals of 63 touchdowns and 6,030 yards in his five pro seasons.