SPOTLIGHT / A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : A GOOD WORD

Many football fans had never heard of Kansas City Chiefs running back Barry Word before he rushed for 200 yards against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He has been all but forgotten since he was named Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year at Virginia in 1985.

A lot has happened to Word since then--almost all of it bad.

Word, a 6-foot-2, 230-pounder who rushed for 1,224 yards as a senior, was drafted in the third round in 1986 by the New Orleans Saints. It was reported that he tested positive for marijuana at a mass scouting workout before the draft.

But the worst was yet to come.

In July of 1986, Word was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine. He served 4 1/2 months in jail, then reported to Saints for the 1987 season. “I don’t look at this as a second chance,” he said at the time. “I look at it as a final chance.”

He never got much of any chance in New Orleans. He carried the ball only 12 times in 1987, none in 1988 and was released by the Saints in June of 1989.

He didn’t play at all last season and was working in telemarketing when he was signed as a free agent by the Chiefs in May.

Against the Lions, Word scored on runs of 53 yards and one yard and set up another touchdown with a 45-yard dash.

“I’ve never had a day like this. That’s why I don’t know how to feel,” Word said after breaking Joe Delaney’s club record by seven yards. “I’m amazed. I knew I was capable if I just got a chance.”

TAKE ‘EM DOWN

Don’t Take Points Off the Scoreboard: It’s a rule most NFL coaches live by, but Jim Mora of New Orleans broke it twice Sunday in a 25-20 victory over Cleveland.

The first time came with the score 3-3, after Morten Andersen kicked a 26-yard field goal on fourth and six. The Browns were penalized for offsides, and Mora took the three points off the board to go for it on fourth and one. They made it, and Steve Walsh passed to Dalton Hilliard for a touchdown.

Mora took another field goal off the scoreboard with 1:58 left in the game, and he got some stiff questions about that decision. Andersen’s 30-yarder had given the Saints a 28-20 lead, meaning the Browns would have had to score twice to win.

But an offsides penalty gave New Orleans first and goal at the eight, and Mora swapped the points for the ball. A holding call and three running plays left the Saints with fourth and goal from the 22, and Andersen missed from 39 yards, his first miss after eight successful field goals.

The Browns, taking over at their 22 with 10 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, couldn’t move the ball.

“They had enough time to score, get an onsides kick, kick a field goal and beat us by two points,” Mora said. “Even though we missed the field goal, I still think it was the right decision.”

BIG PLAYS

Greg Jackson intercepted a pass from Stan Humphries to end Washington’s final threat as the New York Giants remained undefeated with a 24-20 victory.

Free agent Barry Word rushed for touchdowns of 53 yards and one yard and set up another score with a 45-yard run as the Kansas City defeated Detroit, 43-24.

In his debut with New Orleans, Steve Walsh threw three touchdown passes after replacing starter John Fourcade to lead the Saints to a 25-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Bubby Brister and Eric Green combined on three touchdown pass plays and the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied from a 17-7 deficit to defeat the Denver Broncos, 34-17.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Joe Montana set team and career records with 476 yards passing and six touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons. He has thrown for 1,792 yards and 14 touchdowns in the 49ers’ five games, both tops in the NFC. . . . Jerry Rice set team records with 13 catches for 225 yards and tied an NFL mark with five touchdown catches. He has the most touchdown receptions of any active receiver and is tied for 12th on the all-time NFL list with 74.

Warren Moon, who passed for a career-high five touchdowns, became the first quarterback to surpass 20,000 passing yards in both the NFL and Canadian Football League. He threw for 21,228 yards for the Edmonton Eskimoes and has passed for 20,204 with the Oilers.

The officials for Sunday’s games wore black armbands in remembrance of Dick Jorgensen, who died this week at age 56. Jorgensen’s last assignment was the Super Bowl in January.

Houston’s Greg Montgomery, the AFC’s leading punter, got the day off against Cincinnati. He didn’t have to punt in a 48-17 victory over the Bengals.

Roy Green caught six passes for 54 yards to become the Cardinals’ all-time leader with 485 career catches.

Long way, no score: In their 34-17 victory over Denver, the Steelers squandered another scoring chance after a 90-yard pass play from Bubby Brister to Dwight Stone. Warren Williams fumbled the ball into the end zone, and Denver’s Tim Lucas recovered for a touchback.

Redskin streaks: Art Monk’s five-yard reception on the game’s sixth play gave him at least one catch in 105 consecutive regular-season games. Chip Lohmiller’s 42-yard field goal gave him at least one in the last 25 consecutive games, five games short of Morten Andersen’s NFL record. Stan Humphries’ three interceptions were the first turnovers for Washington’s offense this season.

REMEMBER WHEN

Sunday’s Cowboy-Cardinal game was the first meeting of Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and Phoenix quarterback Timm Rosenbach since their college days.

On Oct. 29, 1988, Rosenbach led Washington State to a 34-30 upset of Aikman and top-ranked UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

It was the last time the nation’s No. 1 team had lost at home until Stanford shocked Notre Dame two weeks ago at South Bend, Ind.

Rosenbach got the better of Aikman again Sunday, passing for 171 yards and leading Phoenix to a 20-3 victory. Aikman was nine of 25 for only 61 yards and was intercepted twice.

MAAS GROWS ON CHIEFS

In a league where speedy outside linebackers are said to dominate, how much difference can one big converted nose tackle make?

Ask the Kansas City Chiefs. Ask Bill Maas.

The Chiefs were slugging it out with the Detroit Lions Sunday, leading 17-14 at halftime when Maas made two big plays that turned the game around in a hurry.

First the seven-year veteran sacked Bob Gagliano, setting up a 22-yard field goal by Nick Lowery. Fourteen seconds later, Maas broke through again and sacked Gagliano in the end zone for a safety and a 22-14 lead.

IN QUOTES

Forty-niner offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren on Jerry Rice: “Rating his best games is like trying to say which paintings are the nicest.”

Atlanta Coach Jerry Glanville on Joe Montana: “I can’t wait until that quarterback retires.”

New Orleans quarterback Steve Walsh, after throwing three touchdown passes: “The receivers made me look good. I don’t think I threw one right on the numbers.”

John Fourcade, replaced by Steve Walsh: “You haven’t seen the last of John Fourcade. It’s a long season. I guess I’m back in the position of being one play away from being the starting quarterback.” Green Bay quarterback Don Majkowski, who threw five interceptions against Tampa Bay: “I get a lot of the glory when we win, so I take my share of the blame when we lose.”

Phoenix quarterback Timm Rosenbach: “When I got into the huddle, I saw it in the linemen’s eyes. We were going to make things happen today.”

Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman, whose team lost to Phoenix, 20-3: “I would say we went 100% backward today.”

INJURIES

Atlanta quarterback Chris Miller, who left the game with 8:38 remaining when he was hit and suffered an injured right knee, was taken to a local hospital for further examination. Team physician Dr. John Garrett said Miller suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament and said he’s optimistic that Miller will play next week against the Rams.

San Diego Chargers free safety Vencie Glenn sustained a hamstring injury, while the New York Jets reported injuries to Gerald Nicholls (hip flexor), Ron Stallworth (ankle), Chris Burkett (concussion) and Ken O’Brien (battered body).

The injury-depleted Denver defense lost two more starters--cornerback Wymon Henderson (bruised ribs) and end Jim Szymanski (broken fibula). Szymanski will be out eight to 10 weeks, Henderson might be able to play next week.

Also, Bobby Humphrey, the NFL’s leading rusher, did not suit up because of a sprained ankle.