SPOTLIGHT: A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : TOUCHDOWNS AND X-RAYS

No one has ever questioned Joe Montana’s greatness as a quarterback. But his durability has always been a concern and probably was the reason the San Francisco 49ers ultimately allowed the 37-year-old Montana to work out his own trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Montana, who injured a hamstring in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Raiders, has started all 16 games only twice in 15 NFL seasons, 1981 and 1983.

The Chiefs are 3-0 in games Montana has started this season. Montana sat out the team’s only loss, to Houston, with a wrist injury.

The Montana playing log: He has started 15 games in a season three times and 13 games twice. He has had other seasons of 11, nine, eight and seven starts. He made one start as a rookie in 1979 and did not start a game in either 1991 or 1992 because of injury.

For what it’s worth: Steve Young, Montana’s replacement in San Francisco, made his 22nd consecutive regular-season start for the 49ers.

Montana still leads Young in Super Bowls wins, four to none.

MILESTONE

Let’s hope the next 1,000 games are more exciting than Chicago’s 6-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The Bears on Sunday became the first team to play 1,000 games in the NFL when they faced the Falcons at Soldier Field.

With the victory, the Bears ran their season record to 2-2 and their overall mark to 581-377, with 42 ties.

The team was born in September, 1920, when George Halas and 12 other club representatives met in an automobile showroom in Canton, Ohio, to form what would eventually become the NFL.

Halas, who would also coach the Bears, introduced Red Grange to pro football in 1925 and built a football dynasty in the 30s and 40s.

Halas retired after the 1967 season and the team quickly faltered. In 1969, under Coach Jim Dooley, the Bears fell to 1-13, the worst record in team history.

Halas died in 1983 at age 88 and never realized his dream of seeing the Bears in the Super Bowl. The Bears won their only Super Bowl title two years later after the 1985 season.

As a coach, Halas compiled 324 victories, an all-time record that soon will be eclipsed by Miami Coach Don Shula.

WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S

Byes, for now, are a sorry part of NFL life. As a public service, however, here is a quick update on the six NFL teams that took the weekend off:

Cleveland Browns (3-1): Not all bye weeks are uneventful. Less than two weeks after getting yanked in the Browns’ comeback victory over the Raiders, quarterback Bernie Kosar signed a seven-year contract reportedly worth $27 million.

Houston Oilers (1-3): After getting the dreaded vote of confidence from owner Bud Adams, Coach Jack Pardee spent the weekend devouring game film, poring over notes, trying to find a way to beat defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan’s unit in practice next Wednesday.

In other bye news, quarterback Warren Moon got a week older.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-4): Players gathered to quietly celebrate their first non-losing weekend of the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): Running back Barry Foster and cornerback Rod Woodson had plans to play Monopoly with monies earned in recent contracts: Foster signed a four-year, $10 million deal; Woodson a four-year contract worth $14.25.

Phoenix Cardinals (1-3): Picture quarterback Steve Beuerlein on a recliner, a bowl of popcorn in his lap, soaking up the Raiders’ 24-9 loss to Kansas City and letting out a yelp when former Raider Marcus Allen scored in the second quarter.

New England Patriots (0-4): No truth to the rumor that Coach Bill Parcells flew to Buffalo last week hoping he might coach the New York Giants one last time in Sunday night’s game against the Bills.

ONE, TWO, THREE . . . KICK

When will it end? The field goal onslaught that has threatened vital interests in the NFL this season reared its ugly foot again.

Overshadowing Dallas tailback Emmitt Smith’s first full game since he ended his holdout was the heroics of yet another kicker, Eddie Murray, who kicked five field goals in the Cowboys’ 36-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Murray, an unemployed 37-year-old NFL veteran when the season started, was signed by the Cowboys after they gave up on kicker Lin Elliott following the team’s 0-2 start.

In Chicago, Kevin Butler kicked field goals of 52 and 48 yards in the Bears’ 6-0 victory over Atlanta.

In Anaheim, Ram kicker Tony Zendejas made his ninth straight field goal of 50 yards or more. In the same game, New Orleans’ Morten Andersen kicked three more field goals.

In Dallas, Green Bay kicker Chris Jacke extended a streak of consecutive extra points to 95, longest active in the NFC.

Exciting stuff.

In a bit of good news for field-goal bashers, San Diego’s John Carney’s NFL-record streak of 29 consecutive field goals ended in the first quarter of the San Diego-Seattle game Sunday when he failed on a 48-yard attempt.

RETURN TO SENDER

How long can the Atlanta Falcons continue to employ Coach Jerry Glanville? Hey, leaving tickets for Elvis was cute the first 100 times, but what about that record? After his team dropped to 0-4 after a Monday-night loss to Pittsburgh, Glanville discussed the plight of his team with Chicago-area reporters.

“When I was playing, if I got thrown down and had my chest stomped on four times, I’d still get up believing I was going to win the fifth game,” Glanville said. “We don’t raise our kids like that any more.”

Sunday was not a typical chest stomping. Jerry’s Kids played better against the Bears, but still came away 6-0 losers to fall to 0-5.

NEWS AND NOTES

The Denver Broncos have won 19 of their last 21 home games and own the NFL’s best home record, 96-30, since 1977.. . . The 31 points scored by Seattle in its victory over the Chargers were the most the team has scored since a 33-point outburst versus New England in 1990. . . . The Chicago Bears still have not allowed a rushing touchdown this season . . . Sunday marked the first time Jerry Glanville had been shut out as coach of the Falcons. He was blanked twice as head coach of the Houston Oilers . . . Tampa Bay tailback Reggie Cobb rushed for 113 yards, seven more than the team had amassed in the Buccaneers’ first three games.. . .Green Bay receiver Sterling Sharpe’s first-quarter reception extended a streak of 75 games in which he’s caught at least one pass.

MEDICAL CENTER

It was a tough day for some of the game’s major marquee players. The biggest name to go down was Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham, who broke his left leg in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets and is expected to be out eight to 10 weeks. . .The Eagles also lost top receiver Fred Barnett on Sunday because of a sprained knee ligament . . . Lawrence Dawsey, Tampa Bay’s leading receiver through three games, injured his left knee on the Buccaneers’ first play and could be out for the season.

Detroit Lions linebacker Pat Swilling left the game in the second quarter because of a bruised knee and sore ankle. He did not return . . . Seven Atlanta Falcon players suffered injuries and did not return. The most serious was cornerback Melvin Jenkins, who injured his neck in the third quarter. He was taken to Northwestern Hospital where he remained overnight for an MRI on his spinal cord.

QUOTEWORTHY

Tampa Bay Buccaneer Coach Sam Wyche, after his team’s first win, a 27-10 victory over Detroit: “Patience is a tough attribute to hang on to. We knew that this was a better team than our record suggests. We’re a better team than we’ve played so far.”

TONIGHT’S GAME: Washington at Miami

As far as progress reports go, tonight’s game should be memorable.

Miami has a chance to show it is a team on the verge of reaching the Super Bowl and that last week’s victory over the Bills was not an upset. Washington has a chance to show that it is still one of the elite teams.

But Washington’s once daunting defense is No. 19 in the NFL in stopping the rush and 27th against the pass. Linebacker Monte Coleman, a 15-year veteran, leads the team with three sacks.

Cary Conklin will start at quarterback for Washington in place of the injured Mark Rypien. In a 34-31 loss to the Eagles last week--Conklin’s first NFL start--he completed 17 of 36 attempts for 218 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Redskins will feature the running of rookie Reggie Brooks, who gained 154 yards against a good Eagles defense. The Dolphins have to figure a way to stop the Redskins’ ground game.

This might be the first Miami team in years that can do it. John Offerdahl is the key to the Miami run defense and he is again injury-free.

Dan Marino seems to have got acquainted with all the new players in the Dolphin offense, although top threat Keith Jackson is listed as questionable because of a sore hamstring.

Washington’s punter is Reggie Roby, who was waived by Miami this season after Dale Hatcher beat him out in the exhibition season.

“I’ll always be bitter about that,” Roby said this week. “They had to make a decision that was best for the team at that moment. But don’t make me look like I don’t have it anymore.”

Hatcher has a 38.9-yard per punt average, second-worst in AFC. Roby leads the NFL with a 50.1 average.