SPOTLIGHT / A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : TRADE REVIEW

What has Herschel Walker meant to the Minnesota Vikings? Let’s try this: Does anyone remember Herschel Walker?

Walker, the former Heisman Trophy winner and USFL star, came to Minnesota on Oct. 12 of last year from the Dallas Cowboys in a monster trade. The Cowboys received five players and eight draft choices.

Since then, the Vikings have gone 8-8, not including a 41-13 loss in the playoffs to the 49ers.

The Vikings are struggling at 1-4. Walker started the season strongly with 68 yards rushing and five receptions for 70 yards against the Chiefs, but he has faded into a bit player since. The most obvious lack of use came in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay, when he rushed 11 times for eight yards and had one catch for 16.

On the other side of the coin, the young Cowboys could be going in the right direction. Sunday’s victory over Tampa Bay gave them a 2-3 record, and the winning touchdown was scored on a 14-yard run by their No. 1 draft choice, Emmitt Smith of Florida.

Smith, who rushed for 121 yards in 23 carries against the Buccaneers, was an indirect benefit of the Walker trade. Dallas used its own No. 1 pick in the supplemental draft for quarter-

back Steve Walsh, but they selected Smith with a first-round choice they acquired from the Steelers by trading one of the picks from the Vikings.

How does the Walker trade rate one year later? Many said the Vikings had mortgaged their future with the deal, and it looks as if the rest of the NFL could be calling in the loan.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

This is just the way the Indianapolis Colts planned to do it. The young quarterback coming into his own, not throwing the ball too much, primarily handing off. The workhorse in the backfield, handling the rushing duties. The underrated team pulling off an upset or two.

Jeff George and Eric Dickerson, right? Try Jack Trudeau and Albert Bentley.

George--the No. 1 draft choice acquired for Andre Rison, Chris Hinton and a host of picks--has been sidelined with a pulled stomach muscle, giving Trudeau a chance to guide surprising victories over Philadelphia and Kansas City.

With Dickerson still in suspended limbo, Bentley, a sixth-year player out of Miami, has been the Colts’ running attack. In five games the Colts have rushed for 317 yards, with 275 provided by Bentley. He has 73 of the club’s 92 rushing attempts, including 20 for 84 yards in Sunday’s 23-19 victory over the Chiefs.

The Colts have a bye next week, so George may have time to recover and get the job back and Dickerson could be reinstated. But don’t count on it.

BIG PLAYS

Joe Montana threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 6:31 remaining to rally the San Francisco 49ers to a 24-21 victory over the Houston Oilers.

Albert Bentley scored on a 10-yard run with 5:53 remaining to lift the Indianapolis Colts to a 23-19 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Seattle scored two touchdowns in 24 seconds--Dave Krieg passing 45 yards to Jeff Chadwick and Derrick Fenner on a five-yard run--to rally for a 33-20 victory over New England.

Chris Miller completed an 80-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison with 1:33 left as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, 28-27.

Emmitt Smith scored on a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 14-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dan Marino and Mark Duper connected on a 13-yard pass for a touchdown with 1:03 remaining to lift the Miami Dolphins to a 20-16 victory over the New York Jets.

TOP PASSERS

Player, Team Cmp. Att. Yds. TD BOOMER ESIASON, Bengals 30 44 471 3 JIM EVERETT, Rams 25 46 372 2 CHRIS MILLER, Falcons 23 44 366 3 JOE MONTANA, 49ers 20 28 318 3 BOB GAGLIANO, Lions 16 31 299 3 KEN O’BRIEN, Jets 20 33 256 1 DAVE KRIEG, Seahawks 17 25 254 2 DAN MARINO, Dolphins 19 38 252 2 JAY SCHROEDER, Raiders 17 29 144 1 JOHN FOURCADE, Saints 10 17 235 2

INJURIES

After becoming the NFL record holder for running back receptions, San Francisco’s Roger Craig left the game with a strained knee. He left the dressing room on crutches and his status was undetermined. “His knee was strained,” 49er Coach George Seifert said. “That’s all I know about it now.”

A hamstring injury prevented Indianapolis linebacker Duane Bickett from playing, ending his streaks of starts and appearances in non-strike games at 80.

Doug Dawson started at right tackle in place of Houston’s Dean Steinkuhler, who, sidelined by an elbow injury, ended a string of 38 consecutive starts.

Tampa Bay cornerback Wayne Haddix was doubly injured on Dallas’ first touchdown in the Cowboys’ 14-10 victory. First, Haddix slipped while trying to cover tight end Jay Novacek crossing over the middle. After Novacek caught the pass and was stepping into the end zone, Haddix was blocked low by wide receiver Dennis McKinnon, suffered a left knee injury and was carted off the field.

Pittsburgh injuries: Running back Tim Worley has a sprained left ankle, defensive back Rod Woodson has a bruised right thigh, safety Thomas Everett has a sprained back and safety Larry Griffin a strained hamstring. Their status for next Sunday’s game at Denver was not immediately known.

Minnesota nose tackle Henry Thomas bruised his shoulder and defensive back Audray McMillian bruised his hip, both in the third quarter, and didn’t return in the Vikings’ 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions.

New England starting center Gene Chilton suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee and is scheduled for surgery today.

Quarterback Jim Harbaugh of Chicago was sidelined with injured ribs late in the first half of the Bears’ 27-13 victory over Green Bay. Harbaugh did not return.

TOP RUSHERS

Player, Team Car. Yds. TD NEAL ANDERSON, Bears 21 141 1 EMMITT SMITH, Cowboys 23 121 1 CLEVELAND GARY, Rams 20 92 2 ALBERT BENTLEY, Colts 20 84 2 BARRY SANDERS, Lions 15 82 1 MERRIL HOGE, Steelers 16 78 0 DERRICK FENNER, Seahawks 19 77 2 GARY ANDERSON, Buccaneers 17 76 0 MARCUS ALLEN, Raiders 20 71 1 CHRISTIAN OKOYE, Chiefs 23 69 1

GIFT OF PROPHECY?

O.J. Simpson came on at halftime Sunday of the Kansas City-Indianapolis game and was talking about Chief quarterback Steve DeBerg, one of Simpson’s teammates in San Francisco in 1979.

“Something always seemed to go wrong in the second half with Steve,” Simpson said. “If he can eliminate some of his mistakes, the Chiefs will be tough to beat this year.”

DeBerg, who had thrown 137 passes without an interception until the first half, threw two more after the intermission and Kansas City came from ahead to lose to the Colts, 23-19.

TOP RECEIVERS

Player, Team Rec. Yds. TD RODNEY HOLMAN, Bengals 10 161 0 ANDRE RISON, Falcons 10 154 2 FLIPPER ANDERSON, Rams 7 144 1 TIM McGEE, Bengals 8 142 0 MERVYN FERNANDEZ, Raiders 8 134 0 JOHN TAYLOR, 49ers 4 132 2 STERLING SHARPE, Packers 5 129 1 MARK DUPER, Dolphins 5 125 2 JAMES BROOKS, Bengals 7 109 2 HENRY ELLARD, Rams 7 100 0

A HAT TRICK

Think you had a bad weekend? In the first quarter against Miami Sunday, New York Jet defensive back Tony Stargell was flagged for three penalties on one play in the Dolphins’ 20-16 victory.

One official called Stargell for pass interference against receiver Mark Clayton. Another whistled Stargell for grabbing Clayton’s face mask, and a third official called Stargell for a personal foul.

Clayton caught a nine-yard pass from Marino on the play, but the Dolphins instead accepted a 10-yard penalty for a first down.

IN QUOTES

Quarterback Rich Gannon of Minnesota after the Vikings dropped to 1-4 with a 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions: “People are doubting us now. I would, too.”

Coach Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins on Mark Duper, who caught touchdown passes of 69 and 13 yards after scoring only twice since 1987: “Duper’s back, for those of you who are wondering. We gave him three or four years to get it back.”

Houston quarterback Warren Moon after the Oilers lost to San Francisco: “The what-ifs and might-have-beens may haunt me for a couple of days, but then I have to get ready for Cincinnati.” Pittsburgh Coach Chuck Noll, on the Steelers’ 36-14 victory over San Diego: “I just said it, very loudly and very clearly, that you can have all the Xs and Os but what you need is people to knock people on their fannies.”

Indianapolis Coach Ron Meyer, whose Colts have a bye next weekend, on their 23-19 victory over Kansas City, their second consecutive come-from-behind upset: “I guess we can use the week off just to get the adrenaline restored in our system.”

Atlanta quarterback Chris Miller, who gave away two field goals with a fumble and an interception, then rallied the Falcons to a 28-27 victory over New Orleans: “I had redemption on my mind . “

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Quarterback Marc Wilson has started seven games in his two seasons with New England. The Patriots lost all of them, the latest a 33-20 decision at home to Seattle.

Roger Craig of the San Francisco 49ers set a record for career receptions by a running back. He had two catches against Houston and has 494 in his career. . . . The 49ers’ 12th consecutive road victory is an NFL record.

Steve DeBerg of Kansas City moved past Ron Jaworski into 16th place for NFL career completions. DeBerg was 16 of 36 against Indianapolis, giving him 2,196 completions.

Minnesota’s last 1-4 start was in 1967, Bud Grant’s first season as coach and a year before Jerry Burns joined him as offensive coordinator. The last team to start 1-4 and make the playoffs was Detroit in 1983.