SPOTLIGHT / A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : DIRTY WATERS

Philadelphia safety Andre Waters has been accused by many of taking cheap shots. Sunday, he said the NFL had taken one at him.

“It’s a raw deal,” an angry Waters said after Philadelphia’s 13-7 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Waters was fined an undisclosed amount by the league for going after Minnesota quarterback Rich Gannon’s knees in last week’s Monday night game. ABC announcer Dan Dierdorf called Waters a dirty player.

Waters chased TV cameramen away from his locker after Sunday’s game, waving his arms and shouting, “Philadelphia cameras get away, all of them! No Philadelphia cameras!”

The Eagles were victimized twice by roughing penalties Sunday that helped the Redskins drive to two fourth-quarter field goals.

Linebacker Byron Evans was called for a personal foul two minutes into the fourth quarter when he fell over Washington quarterback Stan Humphries and elbowed him in the head as Humphries threw a long pass incomplete. The 15-yard penalty moved the ball to the Eagles’ 23 and Chip Lohmiller eventually kicked a 33-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Izel Jenkins was called for unsportsmanlike conduct with about five minutes left when he got into a shoving match with tackle Ed Simmons after a short gain. The gain and penalty combined for 19 yards, putting the ball on Philadelphia’s 30 and Lohmiller later kicked a 39-yard field goal.

“I don’t want to sound like a crybaby, but they’re watching us more closely than they are the Redskins,” Waters said. “I’m not out there trying to hurt nobody. I’m just an aggressive, physical player. That’s my game. I enjoy mixing it up.”

SWEPT AWAY

The Oakland Athletics, swept out of the World Series by the Cincinnati Reds, have plenty of company in the NFL these days. Of nine two-game series completed this season, each has been swept.

The Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys were the latest to finish off an opponent for the second time. The Bills rallied in the final minute to defeat the New York Jets, 30-27, after winning by a 30-7 decision in their first meeting. Dallas also scored in the last minute to beat Tampa Bay, 17-13, and defeated the Buccaneers, 14-10, earlier in the season.

Other sweeps this season have been accomplished by the Raiders over the Seattle Seahawks (17-13 and 24-17), the San Francisco 49ers over the Atlanta Falcons (19-13 and 45-35), the Chicago Bears over the Green Bay Packers (31-13 and 27-13), the Miami Dolphins over the New England Patriots (27-24 and 17-10), the New York Giants over the Cowboys (28-7 and 31-17) and the Washington Redskins over the Phoenix Cardinals (31-0 and 38-10).

Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins expected a breakthrough against the Cowboys. “Dallas is a team that we definitely felt like we should’ve won against both times,” he said. “I guess somebody else has their own ideas of what is supposed to happen this year. We set out to break the trend.”

BIG PLAYS

Matt Bahr converted a 40-yard field goal on the final play, capping a 10-point rally in the final 3:21 and lifting the New York Giants to a 20-19 victory over the Phoenix Cardinals.

Troy Aikman threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Michael Irvin with 23 seconds remaining to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 17-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jim Kelly threw four touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score to Jamie Mueller with 19 seconds left, as the Buffalo Bills defeated the New York Jets, 30-27.

Bo Jackson ran for two touchdowns in his 1990 football debut to lead the Raiders to a 24-9 victory over the San Diego Chargers.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers passed for only 157 yards against Pittsburgh, ending his streak of 300-yard passing games at four, one short of his own NFL record. . . . The 49ers rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time this season and Tom Rathman scored the team’s first two rushing touchdowns.

The Dallas Cowboys are now 8-0 in games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including two postseason victories. . . . Kicker Steve Christie of Tampa Bay missed a 37-yard attempt in the first quarter, ending his streak of 11 field goals in a row. . . . Vinny Testaverde of Tampa Bay has thrown at least one touchdown pass in each game this season.

The New Orleans Saints, 23-10 losers to the Houston Oilers, last lost to an American Conference team on Dec. 7, 1986 when the Miami Dolphins beat them 31-27. With 13 consecutive interconference victories, they share the NFL record with the Dolphins, whose streak went from 1978 to 1981. . . . New Orleans kicker Morten Andersen, who had a field goal and conversion against Houston, has scored in 100 consecutive

games.

Henry Ellard became the Rams’ all-time leader in receiving yardage with six receptions for 109 yards against the Atlanta Falcons. That gave the nine-year veteran out of Fresno State 6,311 yards for his career, bettering Elroy Hirsch’s club record of 6,289.

Washington’s Art Monk caught three passes for 62 yards, giving him at least one reception in 106 consecutive games. That pushes him past Danny Abramowicz for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. Steve Largent retired from the Seattle Seahawks after last season with a streak of 177 games. . . . Despite four misses Sunday, the Redskins’ Chip Lohmiller has kicked field goals in 26 consecutive games, five short of the NFL record.

Indianapolis’ Stanley Morgan caught two passes against Denver, giving him 542 career receptions, which moved him past Kellen Winslow and into a tie for 14th place on the NFL all-time list.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Eric Dickerson, playing his first game since December after a prolonged dispute, was greeted by a chorus of boos on the Colts’ first offensive series. He quickly turned them into cheers, gaining 11 yards on his first carry to become the NFL’s sixth-leading rusher and picking up 20 on the next play.

Dickerson, the only back in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in seven consecutive years, passed O.J. Simpson’s 11,236-yard rushing total and he also moved into 10th place on the NFL career list for combined yardage on his first rush, moving past Ollie Matson’s 12,884-yard total.

Dickerson, recalled from the non-football injured list after signing a four-year contract extension earlier in the week, is 71 yards short of tying John Riggins for fifth place on the career rushing list.

HOGGING THE SPOTLIGHT

Former Redskin John Riggins stole the show at a halftime ceremony of the Philadelphia-Washington game in which four athletes were inducted into Washington’s Hall of Stars.

Riggins ran onto the field in his old No. 44 uniform and carrying a bouquet of roses to the sound of a diesel horn that used to accompany some of his punishing runs. He looked almost ready to play as he bowed deeply to the crowd, recalling the bow he took after a record-setting performance in a 1983 playoff game.

Joining Riggins in the local hall of fame were quarterback Joe Theismann--Riggins’ teammate on two Super Bowl teams--former Bullet basketball star Elvin Hayes, former Redskin trainer Joe Kuczo and the late Joe Judge, a first baseman for the Washington Senators who batted .299 from 1915-32.

IN QUOTES

Pittsburgh Coach Chuck Noll on San Francisco defensive end Charles Haley, who had six tackles and two consecutive sacks, the second of which forced a fumble that set up a touchdown: “We all took turns not being able to block him.”

Michael Irvin, who caught a 28-yard touchdown pass to give the Cowboys a last-minute victory: “That’s what football is all about. It’s a wide receiver’s dream.”

New Orleans quarterback Steve Walsh, on his debut (22 of 39, 292 yards) as a starter: “I’m still not where I’d like to be, but I feel like I’m making progress. I’ve learned the system. I just need more experience with it.”

New York Jet defensive tackle Dennis Byrd on 30-27 loss to Buffalo: “We don’t deal in moral victories.”

Seattle’s Norm Johnson, who kicked four field goals in a victory over Kansas City: “People talk about having stress on the job. But I don’t think people can know what stress is until they’ve been in my shoes.”

INJURIES

Kicker Tony Zendejas of the Houston Oilers sustained a broken leg on his planting foot while kicking off following his third field goal. Zendejas broke his left fibula and will be out of action from four to six weeks.

Buffalo lost running back Thurman Thomas when he suffered a bruised knee in the first quarter against the New York Jets. Thomas will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging examination today.

Denver’s Bobby Humphrey, who went into Sunday’s game at Indianapolis as the NFL’s leading rusher despite missing his last game with a sprained ankle, reinjured the ankle on the second play, a 37-yard gain on a screen pass that was nullified because of a penalty. He returned briefly, but gained just five yards in three carries.

New York’s Phil Simms, the NFL’s top-rated quarterback coming into the Giants’ game against Phoenix, hurt his left ankle late in the first quarter and did not return.

Quarterback Joe Montana left the game against Pittsburgh midway through the fourth quarter with a sprained finger on his throwing hand. . . . Receiver John Taylor of the 49ers bruised a knee in the first quarter and did not return.