A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

SOMETHING WILD

It seemed as if every announcer Sunday was mentioning the importance of every game in the race for the playoffs. “Must win” must have been the phrase of the day.

But even a cursory glimpse at the standings would reveal that it is far too early to be pinpointing key matchups. And if anyone says almost any team is out of it, that prognosticator is probably out of it.

With three wild-card teams joining the three division winners for the first time this season, .500 or worse teams stand a good chance of making the playoffs, particularly in the NFC.

The division leaders (Washington 10-0, New Orleans 9-1 and the Bears 7-2) are in pretty good shape. But after that . . .

Dallas and Detroit are 6-4. At 5-5 are Atlanta, Philadelphia, the New York Giants and Minnesota. San Francisco (4-6) and Phoenix (4-6) still can dream.

The AFC? It’s too early. Let’s just say every game is important. And next week is definitely a must-win situation.

MR. ACCURACY

Cleveland’s Bernie Kosar wasn’t in any mood to celebrate after breaking Bart Starr’s NFL record for most passes without an interception.

Kosar extended his streak to 308 passes--Starr’s mark was 294--but the Philadelphia Eagles came back from a 30-17 halftime deficit to score a 32-30 victory at Cleveland.

“That’s probably the farthest thing from my mind right now,” Kosar said.

Kosar’s streak ended in the second quarter, when, under heavy pressure, he threw a weak pass over the middle that was picked off by Ben Smith at midfield.

Kosar broke the record by avoiding interceptions with his first two attempts in the game. One was completed for a loss, and the record-breaker fell incomplete.

The streak began last Dec. 16, after Kosar was intercepted by Atlanta’s Deion Sanders. He sat out the final two games of the 1990 season because of a broken thumb, and he was the only NFL starting quarterback who had not been intercepted this year entering Sunday’s games.

Starr threw 294 passes without an interception for Green Bay in 1964-65. He said last week that he had seen Kosar play on television several times this year from his home in Alabama.

“I’ve always been impressed with his discipline and his control,” Starr said. “That is largely responsible for reducing errors. I feel that one of the reasons he has been so successful is that his vision seems to be even keener as the pressure increases. I am very pleased for him and I am rooting for him.”

YOU GO LONG

Speaking of quarterbacks, there were some impressive numbers posted throughout the league on Sunday. After a season-long drought, the numbers were a downpour. Nine quarterbacks had more than 300 yards passing, including:

--Mark Rypien, 442 yards, six touchdown passes, a team record for average yards per completion (27.6).

--Warren Moon, 41 of 56 for 432 yards.

--Dave Krieg, 376 yards.

--Boomer Esiason, 361 yards.

--Jim McMahon, 341 yards, three touchdowns.

--Jim Everett, 329 yards, three more touchdown passes (boy, when will he stop throwing them?)

One other note: Half of Sunday’s starting quarterbacks (13 of 26) attended five colleges:

Miami--Vinny Testaverde, Steve Walsh, Bernie Kosar, Jim Kelly.

UCLA--Troy Aikman, Jay Schroeder, Steve Bono.

Washington--Warren Moon, Hugh Millen.

Purdue--Everett, Jeff George (yes, before Illinois).

Maryland--Esiason, Neil O’Donnell.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

The New York Giants took the second-half kickoff against Phoenix, and ran 11:14 off the clock as they moved 91 yards in 18 plays. Said Cardinal center Bill Lewis: “I looked up at the clock, and the third quarter was practically over.”

Dallas running back Emmitt Smith’s fumble in overtime that led to Houston’s 26-23 victory was his first in 245 rushing and receiving possessions. Smith’s last fumble came on Dec. 16, 1990 against the Phoenix Cardinals. . . . Warren Moon’s 432 passing yards moved him into second place on the all-time pro passing list with 47,182 yards. Moon passed Fran Tarkenton, who has 47,003. The all-time leader is Ron Lancaster, who threw for 50,535 yards in the Canadian Football League.

Tampa Bay’s Reggie Cobb rushed for 139 yards Sunday, becoming the first Buccaneer to rush for more than 100 yards since Vinny Testaverde on Dec. 16, 1990.

Ickey Woods’ two touchdown runs Sunday were his first since the Bengals’ playoff victory over Houston last Jan. 6. He did his shuffle behind the Cincinnati bench following the extra points and wasn’t penalized under the NFL’s liberalized celebration rule.

Bad decision: With 6:54 remaining in the fourth quarter and Cleveland leading Philadelphia, 30-26, Webster Slaughter caught a punt at his goal line. Running laterally, he was stripped by Robert Drummond, and Britt Hager recovered for the Eagles, setting up the winning touchdown. . . . The Eagles had the ball for 41:14.

Protection: Washington, which has allowed an NFL-low four sacks this season, registered its fifth consecutive game without allowing one Sunday. The Redskins sacked Atlanta quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver six times.

New York Jet kicker Pat Leahy had nine points, lifting him past Jim Turner into third place on the all-time scoring list. Leahy has 1,445, trailing George Blanda (2,002) and Jan Stenerud (1,699).

BAD INFLUENCE

Was it a coincidence that the Indianapolis Colts won their first game of the season Sunday three days after Eric Dickerson was suspended?

Was it a coincidence that the Colts ended a string of 329 minutes 26 seconds, about 5 1/2 games, without a touchdown, without Dickerson in the lineup?

Was it terribly ironic that Dickerson, one of sports’ legendary malcontents, was suspended (for refusing to practice) the same day that Magic Johnson, one of sports’ goodwill ambassadors, announced that he had the AIDS virus and had to retire from basketball?

No, no, and yes.

ARTIFICIAL SUCCESS

A month into the season, the Detroit Lions looked to be one of the NFL’s great success stories. Behind running back Barry Sanders and quarterback Rodney Peete, Detroit had rolled to a 5-1 record.

But after Sunday’s 30-21 loss to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Lions are 6-4, with all four losses coming on grass.

In those four setbacks, the Lions have been mowed down by a 130-34 total. They took capital punishment in the opener at Washington (45-0), lost their heart in San Francisco (35-3) and were mauled by the Bears in Chicago (20-10), before tumbling in Tampa.

IN QUOTES

New Orleans kicker Morten Anderson, who had to wait to kick a field goal while a fire was put out at midfield: “I was looking for some weenies. We had time enough for a little barbecue.”

Buffalo’s Andre Reed on his catch of a pass that deflected off teammate Thurman Thomas for a six-yard touchdown: “It was a cheap touchdown, but you got to take them any way you can.”

Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly on James Lofton, who had six catches for 114 yards: “James is James. He had an average game--awesome.”

Green Bay Coach Lindy Infante on the Bills: “They’re not 9-1 now by mistake, I’ll tell you that.”

Atlanta Coach Jerry Glanville on 10-0 Washington: “They don’t have a weakness.”

Philadelphia quarterback Jim McMahon on the Eagles’ comeback victory over Cleveland: “When you’ve got three quarters to play, if you’re going to lie down, you don’t belong in this league.”

Detroit quarterback Erik Kramer on 30-21 loss to Tampa Bay: “We were trying to pull things out of the air that we thought would work. That’s what happens when you get out of your game plan. We got behind and panicked.”

Detroit linebacker Chris Spielman: “Last week we played pretty well (against Chicago), but this week we stunk. It was embarrassing. We can’t have any more of this Jekyll and Hyde stuff.”

New York safety Brian Washington on the Jets’ 28-27 loss to Indianapolis: “It’s a tough loss any time you go against an 0-8 (actually 0-9) team and give them their first win of the year. It’s got to hurt more than any other game. It was like two losses.”

TONIGHT’S GAME

CHICAGO BEARS (7-2)

at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-5)

Time: 6 p.m.

TV: Channel 7

In the Black and Blue Division, also known as the NFC Central, no man leaves opponents more sore than Mike Ditka.

Ditka’s Bears are 47-12 against the division since 1984, when the Bears began a string of six titles in seven years. Not counting 1989, the Bears’ only non-title season in that span, Chicago is 45-6 against NFC Central opponents.

Ditka especially looks forward to playing the Vikings, who have one division title during the Ditka Era.

“I’m looking for weaknesses and I don’t find any,” Ditka said of the Vikings. “But heart is more important than talent.”

“Nobody takes Mike seriously,” Minnesota Coach Jerry Burns said. “He babbles on and on much to the delight of the media. To me, he’s the Muhammad Ali of pro football.

“He knows how many Pro Bowlers we’ve got. He knows that we’re underachievers. He knows we have no heart. He knows all about how talent-laden we are.

“I like Mike, but all this drives me crazy.”

Burns has been feeling a lot saner lately. The Vikings are 3-1 since getting off to a terrible start that included a season-opening loss at Chicago. A victory tonight keeps Minnesota in thick of the playoff hunt.

“The Bears game is big,” Burns said. “It always is.”

Ditka: “When I say I don’t like them, I don’t like them in the sense that they’re our competition. It’s not a relationship I’ve come to savor over the years because it’s been so competitive. I want to beat them.”