Pro Football Spotlight : THAT’S SPELLED S-P-I-K-E-S

Dolphin rookie Irving Spikes is making sure all the NFL scouts who ignored him on draft day are becoming familiar with his name.

Spikes, who went undrafted and made Miami’s roster on the strength of his three impressive kickoff returns against the Packers in an exhibition game, duplicated his feats Sunday. The 5-8, 215-pound dynamo ran 13 times for 70 yards, sparking the Dolphins to a victory over Green Bay at Milwaukee.

Spikes, who had the nation’s fourth-best rushing average (149.5) last year at Northeast Louisiana, ran for 41 yards on three consecutive plays to set up a touchdown by Dan Marino that gave the Dolphins a 10-0 lead. He left the game early in the fourth quarter after hurting his knee, but he later said the injury wasn’t serious.

“I just want to prove that I can run the ball,” he said. “This means a lot to me. Hopefully, they’ll have confidence in me to keep giving me the ball. . . .

“To be honest, I don’t just want to be a return guy because I love to run the ball. I want to be the main guy on offense.”

Marino has beaten Green Bay all five times he has faced them. This time was easier, he said, because Spikes was on his side.

“He’s small and elusive,” Marino said. “He did a great job of accelerating through the holes. We wanted to get him into their secondary and he did a great job.”

A FAILING GRADE FOR PASSING

It’s predictable that Vinny Testaverde will find his receivers. To the dismay of Testaverde and the Browns on Sunday, the Steelers found those receivers first.

Led by Darren Perry’s career-high three interceptions, Pittsburgh intercepted Testaverde four times Sunday in its 17-10 triumph.

Testaverde’s passes have landed in opponents’ hands six times in Cleveland’s first two games.

“We knew we had to put pressure up the middle and get him rattled, disguise our coverages so he wouldn’t know where the hole in the zone was going to be,” Perry said. “I don’t think he could figure out what coverages we were actually playing today.”

When it came to accepting blame, though, Testaverde couldn’t be faulted.

“It was a tough day obviously, but you have to keep fighting,” he said. “I take my share of the responsibility, my share of the blame. Now I want to bounce back and be there for my teammates next week. I didn’t play a very good game, but I don’t think my confidence will be affected.”

CHRIS WHO?

After the Vikings traded right defensive end Chris Doleman, a six-time Pro Bowl participant, no one expected their pass rush to be much of a threat. But James Harris, who replaced Doleman, teamed with John Randle, Henry Thomas and Roy Barker to sack Lion quarterback Scott Mitchell six times in Minnesota’s 10-3 victory over Detroit.

“Everybody has been hammering us with, ‘Hey, you lost Doleman.’ OK, we lost Doleman. It’s over with,” Barker said. “Do we miss Doleman? No, we don’t miss Doleman. Doleman is gone and we’re still good.”

Randle, Harris and Barker each had two sacks. Thomas was the main force that let the Vikings hold Barry Sanders to 16 yards in 12 carries, Sanders’ worst rushing game since a 10-yard performance against New Orleans on Oct. 28, 1990.

GUSHING ABOUT THE OILERS

The Cowboys couldn’t stop praising Oiler quarterback Bucky Richardson, who stepped in when Cody Carlson was idled by a shoulder injury. Of course, they could afford to be gracious after they defeated Houston, 20-17.

“I’ll tell you what, before the game I didn’t want to play against him,” Dallas Coach Barry Switzer said. “He scares me to death the way he scrambles. He’s a great competitor.”

But Sunday wasn’t one of them.

“We came close but that doesn’t mean much,” said Richardson, who scrambled seven times for 37 yards. “I evaluate my performance on wins and losses.”

NOTEWORTHY

Green Bay’s Sterling Sharpe extended his team record by catching a pass in his 89th consecutive game. . . . Keith Byars’ touchdown just before halftime for Miami marked the 105th game in a row he has caught at least one pass. . . . A five-yard carry by Marcus Allen in the second half moved him past Earl Campbell’s 9,407 career yards and into ninth place on the all-time list. Allen, who had 69 yards and a touchdown, needs one more touchdown to tie John Riggins for fourth on the all-time list. . . . Jerry Rice did not catch a pass against the Chiefs until 3:27 was left in the first half. His first catch was the first pass thrown to him. . . . It was the eighth time Kansas City’s Derrick Thomas has made three sacks. He got the 70th sack of his career. . . . Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer had been 0-3 against the 49ers at Cleveland and Kansas City. . . . The crowd of 79,907 was the second largest in the history of Arrowhead Stadium. A crowd of 82,094 watched a game with the Raiders Nov. 5, 1972. . . . The Steelers and Browns have split the season series each of the last five years. Pittsburgh has not swept a season series from Cleveland since 1981 but could do so by winning at Three Rivers Stadium on Dec. 18. . . . Gary Anderson had five points for the Steelers on a field goal and two extra points. He moved past former Cincinnati kicker Jim Breech into 11th place on the career scoring list with 1,248 points. . . . In five career starts against Cleveland, Pittsburgh’s Neil O’Donnell is 106 of 170 (62.4%) for 1,242 yards, an average of 248.4 yards per game. The Steelers, however, are 2-3 in those five games. . . . The Vikings have won eight consecutive home openers since Detroit beat them in 1986. . . . Warren Moon moved into eighth place on the all-time lists for passing yardage (33,906) and completions (2,654). . . . Jeff George’s 38 pass attempts without an interception lifted his streak to 277, third-best in history behind Bernie Kosar’s 308 and Bart Starr’s 294. . . . George also went over the 10,000-yard mark in career passing with 287 yards, giving him 10,119 after the second game in his fifth season. . . . Andre Rison set a Falcon career record for receptions, his 12 in the game lifting his total to 368. The old record was 359 by Alfred Jenkins from 1975-83. . . . Ram tackle Jackie Slater, 40, appeared in his 249th game, sixth on the all-time list and only one shy of fifth place Pat Leahy. Slater is No. 1 among offensive linemen and current active players in games played. . . . Drew Bledsoe became the first New England Patriot quarterback with three consecutive 300-yard passing games. . . . Jim Kelly set a Bills team record with 183 touchdown passes after throwing four. Joe Ferguson’s old mark was 181. . . . The 70 points is the most the Patriots have scored in the first two games of any season. Last season, the Patriots scored their 70th point in their fifth game. . . . Washington’s Brian Mitchell, the Redskins’ hero, played quarterback at Southwestern Louisiana, where he became the first player in NCAA history to pass for more than 5,000 yards and run for more than 3,000. . . . It was the first time Washington quarterback John Friesz has passed for three or more touchdowns in his five-year NFL career. . . . Saint kicker Morten Andersen’s 29-yard field goal in the first period extended to 160 the number of consecutive games in which he has scored, the second longest such streak in history. . . . The Jets’ Art Monk has caught a pass in 166 consecutive games, 11 short of the record by Steve Largent.

AS THOMAS GOES, SO GO THE BILLS

Last week, Bills running back Thurman Thomas was held to five yards on seven carries and Buffalo’s offense produced only three points.

On Sunday, Thomas rushed for 106 yards, and the Bills overcame the Patriots, 38-35.

Coincidence? Hardly. When Thomas moves, the Bills do. “We decided to move at a faster pace. It seems to help us execute better,” Thomas said. “I loved the tempo we set in the first half but we got tired.”

Jim Kelly threw four touchdown passes as the Bills picked apart the Patriots’ defense, which allowed Dan Marino to throw five touchdown passes last week.

“I’m dumbfounded,” Patriots nose tackle Tim Goad said. “I expected our defense to be pretty good. We faced the two best quarterbacks in our division the first two weeks and we haven’t proven we can stop anybody.”

IT MUST BE CATCHING

A hands-on approach didn’t work for Tampa Bay’s receivers last week against the Bears, when they dropped four passes.

They got it right on the second try, catching three of Craig Erickson’s touchdown passes in a 24-10 victory over the Colts.

But not many fans caught this performance. The smallest crowd for a home opener in Tampa Bay history--36,631--saw Erickson complete 19 of 24 passes, the second-highest passing total of his career, for 313 yards.

“This game was more indicative of the type of games we’re capable of having,” said Jackie Harris, who had four catches for 96 yards after catching three for 20 against the Bears. “Everybody wonders after a game like Chicago. Everybody was saying the receivers can’t catch. This tells the world. . . . that we’re able to bounce back.”

THEY’D COST A FEW BUC(K)S

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, responding to reports that a prospective buyer is prepared to offer up to $175 million for the team, issued a statement saying the club is not for sale.

The Buccaneers’ future has been the subject of speculation since the death last month of Hugh Culverhouse, the only owner in the club’s 18-year history.

Massachusetts businessman Socrates Babacas has said he intends to send the team a letter this week offering to purchase the franchise for between $165 million to $175 million.

Chicago real estate developer Bruce Frey, who made an unsuccessful bid to buy the Dolphins last year, also has expressed interest in the team.

INJURY REPORT

New York Giant running back Rodney Hampton was hospitalized after bruising a kidney during the Giants’ victory over Arizona.

Hampton was expected to be kept overnight at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Phoenix after blood was found in his urine.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, had 39 yards in 17 carries when he left the game midway through the third quarter. He scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter.

QUOTEWORTHY

Joe Montana, to Chief president Carl Petersen, who offered him the stat sheet after the Chiefs’ 24-17 victory over Steve Young and the 49ers: “No, thanks. We won. That’s all that counts.”

Packer safety LeRoy Butler after the Dolphins’ 5-foot-8 Irving Spikes set up two first-half touchdowns in Miami’s 24-14 victory: “He’s so short you can hardly see him.”

Lions’ quarterback Scott Mitchell, after being sacked six times by John Randle, James Harris and Roy Barker of Minnesota: “If I had my druthers, I’d rather they weren’t there.”

Usually reliable Lion kicker Jason Hanson after missing two field goals in a loss: “It’s like it’s junior high again, where you don’t know where the ball is going to go.”

TOP PERFORMANCES PASSING

Player, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD DREW BLEDSOE, Patriots 42 26 380 3 JIM EVERETT, Saints 46 31 376 2 BRETT FAVRE, Packers 51 31 362 2 JIM KELLY, Bills 41 25 328 4 JOHN ELWAY, Broncos 42 29 319 1 CRAIG ERICKSON, Buccaneers 24 19 313 3 STAN HUMPHRIES, Chargers 29 18 299 2 BOOMER ESIASON, Jets 37 26 297 2 STEVE YOUNG, 49ers 34 24 288 1 JEFF GEORGE, Falcons 38 29 287 3

RECEIVING

Player, Team Rec. Yds. TD FLIPPER ANDERSON, Rams 5 154 1 ROB MOORE, Jets 9 147 1 ANDRE REED, Bills 7 142 1 BEN COATES, Patriots 9 124 2 ANDRE RISON, Falcons 12 123 2 MARK SEAY, Chargers 8 119 2 HENRY ELLARD, Redskins 7 105 0

RUSHING

Player, Team Car. Yds. TD NATRONE MEANS, Chargers 21 107 1 THURMAN THOMAS, Bills 26 106 0 MARSHALL FAULK, Colts 18 104 0 JEROME BETTIS, Rams 24 102 0 GARY BROWN, Oilers 20 93 2 MARION BUTTS, Patriots 18 82 2