SPOTLIGHT / A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

DOWN THEY GO

On the first day of the NFL’s regular season, starting quarterbacks seemed to be falling apart faster than the Soviet Union.

The biggest name to drop was Philadelphia’s All-Pro Randall Cunningham, who could be lost for the season after suffering a knee injury during the Eagles’ season opener in Green Bay.

Cunningham, the NFL’s best running quarterback and one of its most durable, could be out for the remainder of the season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee.

He was hit on his left knee by Packer linebacker Bryce Paup on the first play of the second quarter.

A preliminary diagnosis by team physician Vincent DiStefano revealed that Cunningham had torn the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments of his left knee.

“At this point the tears look complete,’ DiStefano said. “If that’s the case he’ll be out for the year and require surgery.”

A magnetic resonance imaging test was to be taken as soon as possible, probably today in Philadelphia, to determine the extent of the injury and whether surgery is needed.

“I got hit pretty good but I thought I was going to be able to get up,” said Cunningham, who was on crutches in the locker room after the Eagles’ 20-3 victory over the Packers.

“I heard it pop but I’ve been hit before so I was optimistic that I could come back in.”

He was hit Sunday just as he released a pass while standing in the pocket. “I got hit in the pocket--that’s not my style,” Cunningham said.

“A lot of people have criticized Randall Cunningham because he runs out of the pocket so much. Well, I ran out and I was healthy and the one time I stay in there I get injured.”

Also on the injured list was Seattle quarterback Dave Krieg, who had a broken thumb in the Seahawks’ 27-24 loss to New Orleans and will be out about six weeks. “I got tackled and landed on the end of it,” he said.

Seattle backup Jeff Kemp said: “It’s not my ship, now, it’s our ship. It’s a team sport. You never want anything like that to happen, but when it does, you have to be ready.”

Pittsburgh’s Bubby Brister suffered a mild concussion in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers and had to leave the game. The injury isn’t considered serious.

UNWANTED MAN

Then there are the New Orleans Saints, who have two healthy quarterbacks, Steve Walsh and Bobby Hebert, who sat out last season in a contract dispute. Hebert won the job in the exhibition season, but it wasn’t a popular choice with Saint fans.

Seventy-six percent of those responding to a newspaper poll in New Orleans said they thought Walsh should be the starter.

So, of course, Hebert led the Saints to a 27-24 victory over Seattle, completing 18 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

HAUNTING TOON

Most mysterious injury of the day came before play even started, when the New York Jets announced that leading receiver Al Toon would miss the opener with post-concussion syndrome.

Toon had been listed as probable for the game with Tampa Bay. His injury was listed as a contused chest. No mention ever was made during the week that Toon had a concussion.

The Jets scratched Toon several hours before the game, but did not explain the injury.

Last season, Toon’s sixth, he was severely limited by injuries yet still managed 57 receptions. He has not played a full season since 1987.

2nd COLUMN

DRIVEN TO SUCCESS

Thurman Thomas, who became the first Buffalo Bill to get 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game, said one of his motivations came as he drove into the Rich Stadium parking lot Sunday morning.

“One of the things that kind of made me mad was I pulled into the parking lot before the game and here you’ve got I think it was (Miami) offensive linemen pulling up in a limo. It goes to show that maybe they were showing a little cockiness where they were going to come in with that attitude. I think they were that confident they were going to win the football game.”

COMMISHSPEAK

Now that the regular season is under way, it’s time to forget about paying exorbitant prices for exhibition games, right?

Well, maybe. It still seems insulting to be forced to pay to watch players who won’t make the 60-man cut, much less the final roster.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue feels season ticket-holders shouldn’t be upset. He said they should look at it as if they’re getting the exhibition games for free.

“In many ways, it’s a question of form. The teams have to price their tickets at a level which gives them the revenue they need to operate. And in many situations, the question really is do you have a $200 ticket price for eight games which breaks out to $25 a game or do you have a $200 ticket price for 10 games, which breaks out to $20 per game on a per-game basis. I think from the club’s standpoint, the basic question is at what level do you fix the overall price and it really becomes six of one and half dozen of the other whether you put eight games on the strip or 10 games on the strip.

“The basic price is driven by revenue needs in relation to cost including player salaries. The fan in effect gets two additional games for a price that he’d otherwise have to pay for the eight regular season games because what is driving the pricing is the overall economics of the strip of tickets.”

We’ll talk to you again next year, Commissioner.

PLEADING FOR VICTORY

The Chicago Bears almost had to do without kicker Kevin Butler against Minnesota Sunday.

Butler withdrew a guilty plea to drunk driving when a judge said he would have to spend the weekend in jail, his attorney said.

Butler made a plea-bargain arrangement after an Aug. 6 arrest in the north Chicago suburb, attorney Alfred D. Stavros said. Butler had agreed to counseling and a year of court supervision.

“Kevin has a right to a fair and impartial judge at every level of justice,” Stavros said. “The fact that he’s a Bull, a Bear or a White Sox, he’s still an individual.”

Isn’t that a kick?

WHO ARE THOSE GUYS?

Some pretty unknown players had a pretty good season Sunday.

Miami running back Mark Higgs, filling in for Sammie Smith, rushed for 146 yards in 30 carries in the Dolphins’ 35-31 loss to Buffalo. Higgs, a fourth-year back out of Kentucky, rushed for 67 yards in 10 attempts last season.

Anthony Johnson of Indianapolis, a second-year back, caught 11 passes for 87 yards in a 16-7 loss to New England. He caught five balls for 32 yards in 1990.

Barry Foster rushed for 78 yards in 17 carries for Pittsburgh. Of course, he was practically an all-pro last year compared to Higgs and Johnson, rushing for 203 yards.

IN QUOTES

Chicago Coach Mike Ditka on the NFL’s rules against demonstration: “Football is snot, blood, tears, sweat, pain. If you want something else, go to a chess match. Football is not for the fragile, not for the faint of heart. It’s men on men and it’s tough, and they’ve got to be careful about legislating emotion right the hell out of it.”

San Diego quarterback John Friesz, who finished with 18 completions in 39 attempts for 187 yards and one interception against Pittsburgh: “I’ve come a long way, but I didn’t prove it. I still have everything to prove.”

Denver quarterback John Elway on a 45-14 victory over Cincinnati: “That was as much fun as I’ve had in a game in a long time.”

Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly, on why he came back despite a sprained ankle against Miami: “I didn’t want anyone to think I’m a big pussycat.”

Kelly on teammate Thurman Thomas, who rushed for 165 yards and caught eight passes for 103 yards: “Thurman who?”

First-year New England Coach Dick MacPherson on the 16-7 victory over Indianapolis: “It was a great day for Patriot football.”

Indianapolis Coach Ron Meyer: “Too much is made on who wins opening day.”

TONIGHT’S GAME

SAN FRANCISCO AT NEW YORK GIANTS

TV: Channel 7, 3, 10, 42 Time: 6 p.m.

This game at East Rutherford, N.J., is not your average Monday night opener.

On one side are the Giants, defending Super Bowl champions, in the debut of Coach Ray Handley, who is taking over for Bill Parcells.

On the other side are the 49ers, who were denied their chance for three Super Bowl titles in a row in the NFC championship game when New York’s Matt Bahr kicked five field goals in a 15-13 victory.

The 49ers seem intent on taking back their title, going 5-0 in the exhibition season, even though quarterback Joe Montana will miss at least the first four games of the regular season with tendinitis in his right elbow.

It helps when you have a Steve Young to fill in.

“It’s not like you are going from an iron deer to an antelope,” Al Groh, the Giants’ defensive coordinator said of Young.

The Giants will also begin the season with a new quarterback. Jeff Hostetler, younger and more mobile, took over for the injured Phil Simms and led New York to the Super Bowl victory. Then he beat out Simms during exhibition season.

San Francisco Coach George Seifert said he hasn’t spent a lot of time dwelling on the last meeting between the teams.

“I would think it would be a misguided emotion to spend a lot of time talking about what happened a year ago,” Seifert said. “We’ve got to get down and show what this particular team can do. It’s a new game and we’ve got to approach it as such.”

The Giants didn’t handle the pressure well after winning Super Bowl XXI, a fact of which they are aware.

“We’re a lot wiser,” cornerback Mark Collins said. “A lot of us are wearing two rings. That gives you a different attitude. You’re not just grateful for having one under your belt. You feel like you are part of something bigger. It’s a simple matter of maturity. We know what it takes to be successful and stay that way.”