SPOTLIGHT: A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : NO OFFENSE, BUT THIS SEASON THE DEFENSES CAN NEVER REST

We have studied the film, endured quarters and quarters of pointless play, gobbled up every color analysts’ brilliant uttering. And we have, yes, discovered the secret, potent truth of this cold NFL season.

Forget about trying to score touchdowns with your offense. That’s old-fashioned. This year, the most exciting scoring plays are by . . . the defense.

Get your shaky quarterback and fumble-prone tailback off the field and get your defense lined up and ready to rumble into the end zone.

You have presumably heard of the “Prevent Defense.” In the NFL this year, and specifically the NFC Central, they ought to start diagramming a “Prevent Offense.”

In two head-to-head NFC Central matchups, four defensive touchdowns were scored: Three by the Chicago Bears in their victory over the Green Bay Packers and one by the Minnesota Vikings to ice their win against the Detroit Lions.

By itself, the Bears’ defense outscored the Packers’ entire team, 21-17, and the Vikings’ defense outscored the Lions, 7-0.

MORE DEFENSE

The NFC Central wasn’t alone in producing all those defensive scores Sunday.

NFL defenses, presumably sick of watching their offenses bog down inside the 20 and settle for those boring field goals, have taken things into their own hands. With much better results.

Sunday, three other touchdowns and one safety were produced by defensive players.

Redskin linebacker Kurt Gouveia intercepted and returned a pass by Craig Erickson 59 yards for a touchdown. Chief linebacker Derrick Thomas grabbed a Seattle fumble and took it 86 yards for a touchdown. Houston defensive lineman Ray Childress landed on a fumble by Falcon quarterback Bobby Hebert in the end zone, and Giant defensive lineman Keith Hamilton tackled Miami quarterback Steve DeBerg in the end zone for a safety.

Guess what? All four teams that got the defensive score won their games.

JERRY’S FORMER KIDS

Jerry Glanville. Buddy Ryan. Andre Rison. Deion Sanders. Warren Moon.

Yep, there were a few high-profile egos out on the field at the Astrodome, as the Oilers played host to the Falcons and their former coach for the first time since firing Glanville after the 1989 season.

In his first game as Falcon coach, Glanville beat the Oilers at Atlanta, then called Oiler Coach Jack Pardee “a jerk.”

This time, the Oilers handled Atlanta, 33-17.

As the Oilers’ lead increased, the Astrodome crowd started enjoying Glanville’s grief. By the fourth quarter they were chanting “Jerry, Jerry.”

After the game, Glanville did not attempt to shake hands with Pardee.

“This is one of the most satisfying victories for myself,” said Oiler quarterback Moon, not known as a Glanville confidante. “I downplayed it during the week, but because of the things that transpired when the man was here, it was a big win for us.”

Oiler owner Bud Adams said: “This is special . . . We kind of stuffed it down their throats like they did us in Atlanta.”

The Oilers protected the lead thanks to two interceptions by cornerback Steve Jackson, who spent the past month in Oiler defensive coordinator Ryan’s doghouse.

“He got out of the doghouse today,” Ryan said. “We’ll have to find some one else to put in there.”

HIGH TURBULENCE

The New York Jets’ offense was having itself a nice little season--until the past two weeks, when high winds and generally ugly conditions have limited the team to a total of four field goals.

Last week, the Jets survived, beating the Patriots, 6-0, in the mud at Foxboro, Mass. Still, the Jets’ offense entered Sunday’s game as the No. 6-ranked offense in the league.

But, in the wind tunnel of Giants Stadium, Boomer Esiason and Co. flopped and stumbled again. They lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 9-6. Last year, the teams played 6-3 and 10-6 epics.

New York has lost 11 of the last 14 games against the Colts.

“It was bad,” Esiason said. “The defense held them to three points and we gave them six more on interceptions. No one feels worse, no one feels more responsible.”

MEDIOCRITY ALL AROUND

If you think 1993 isn’t shaping up to be a banner year for great teams, you are not alone.

Just about two-thirds of the way into this season, take a look around the league and answer this one question:

At this point in the season, how many teams can you say are better than they were last year?

The way we count it, being generous, maybe six: the Bears, Giants, Lions, Jets, Broncos and Seahawks. And it’s not exactly like these six are super (or Super Bowl) teams, either.

How many are worse? Being conservative, something like 11: the Steelers, Chargers, Bengals, Colts, Browns, Eagles, Redskins, Vikings, Packers, Cowboys and Saints.

After Sunday losses by Buffalo, Denver, Miami and Detroit, only three teams have made it this far with fewer than four losses: the Giants, the Dolphins, and the 49ers, who are all 9-3.

There’s a real possibility that no team in the league will finish the regular season with a record better than 12-4.

The last time that happened was in 1988, when the 49ers emerged from a 6-5 start (and finished 10-6) to win Super Bowl XXIII over the Cincinnati Bengals.

DREADFUL BLEDSOE

He was stopped at the one-yard line on fourth and goal on the final play of the game in his team’s 17-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He threw five interceptions. He fumbled to set up the Steelers’ winning score. He threw 11 consecutive incompletions at one point.

All in all, a pretty tough game for Drew Bledsoe, the man the Patriots took with the No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft.

One of Bledsoe’s interceptions, with the Patriots about to take the lead or tie it with 2:28 left in the third quarter, prompted New England Coach Bill Parcells to nearly throw down his headset and spew a succession of expletives.

“I think this one falls on the quarterback,” Bledsoe said. “There were too many turnovers. Five interceptions and a fumble? That’s ridiculous.”

FLIP-FLOPPING

Who says Browns Coach Bill Belichick doesn’t know how to handle quarterbacks?

He beat the Saints, 17-13, Sunday using Todd Philcox. Then Vinny Testaverde, coming back from a shoulder injury. Then Philcox again.

Philcox started, threw a touchdown, then was benched after throwing an interception. Later, with Testaverde struggling, Philcox was reinserted midway through the fourth quarter and threw an eight-yard completion to Brian Kinchen for a first down that helped Cleveland consume most of the final four minutes.

“I don’t know if either one of us can get a feel for the game by doing that,” said Testaverde, who came out of the game because his shoulder stiffened up.

The victory was Cleveland’s first in four games since longtime starter Bernie Kosar was cut.

BITS AND PIECES

It was not a good day at all to be a quarterback. Houston intercepted an Oiler-record six of Falcon quarterback Bobby Hebert’s passes. . . Meanwhile, the Vikings had five interceptions against the Lions, four against starting Lion quarterback Rodney Peete, one off of Andre Ware. . . . Saint quarterback Wade Wilson was sacked nine times by the Browns, which tied the Saints’ record for most sacks ever surrendered.

Though the pay is good, and the offense always produces great numbers, this year, there’s never a good day to be a Dolphin quarterback. Steve DeBerg became the third Dolphin quarterback this year to be knocked out of a game by injury when he departed in the third quarter against the Giants. DeBerg was sandwiched by Corey Miller and Keith Hamilton. DeBerg was slow to get up, and he walked off the field with blood visible in his mouth and on his jersey. He went to the locker room to have a cut on his neck and one on his chin stitched, and was replaced by Doug Pederson with Miami trailing, 17-7. The Dolphins earlier lost Dan Marino for the season and Scott Mitchell for several weeks because of injuries.