Pro Football Spotlight : BIG D AS IN D-MENTED

We know you’d want the latest on the Cowboys, even if they didn’t play Sunday, so here’s a recap of recent events:

Before last Monday’s game against the Lions, owner Jerry Jones, basking in the 2-0 start, said this team was so good, he could coach it.

The Cowboys then lost to the Lions.

Jones’ old coach, Jimmy Johnson criticized Jones’ new coach, Barry Switzer, for absenting himself to see his son play a college game the night before the Cowboys’ second game.

“That shocked me,” Johnson said. “Not even showing up for the meetings. . . . A couple of players told me they better not be criticized for not focusing when their coach doesn’t focus either.

“One of the players said, ‘What difference does it make? He doesn’t do anything anyway.’ ”

Switzer coached Johnson and Jones on the Arkansas freshman team, but wasn’t glad to hear from his old pupil.

“I think Jimmy has told the world, told everybody that football is first for him and family wasn’t a priority for him,” Switzer said. “It’s been documented. That’s not my case.

“As I told my team and coaches prior to going to see my son play, if there was anything that I could do on Saturday night that would make a difference in the ballgame tomorrow, that I would be there.”

Jones’ quarterback, Troy Aikman, said diplomatically that Johnson “has a lot of friends here,” suggesting Johnson still enjoys some loyalty from his ex-players, so stay tuned.

BUDDY, THE QB KILLER

Buddy Ryan’s defensive teams are famous for hunting quarterbacks and his Arizona offense is no slouch either. Three games into the season, the Cardinals have already tried Steve Beuerlein, Jim McMahon and Jay Schroeder and Buddy is casting around for more.

The latest prospect is Phil Simms, 38, the ex-Giant-turned ESPN commentator. Two weeks ago, Ryan said the Giants were a better team without Simms but apparently now feels the Cardinals would be better with him.

Amazingly, Simms is interested.

“I’m waiting to see if they make me an offer I can’t refuse,” Simms said on ESPN’s pregame show. “If they do, I’ll play for the Arizona Cardinals.”

If it doesn’t work out, how about . . . . Marc Wilson?

THAT DAN REEVES LOOKS BETTER ALL THE TIME

Bronco players, including John Elway, who noisily welcomed easy-rider Wade Phillips when Coach Dan Reeves left, now see a death watch forming for their 0-3 coach.

“There’s so such thing in my vocabulary as a vote of confidence,” owner Pat Bowlen said. “We’re 0-3. That’s the sad part. We’re going to get this thing turned around and get going in the right direction.”

Stanford Coach Bill Walsh, the hot rumor to replace Phillips, might be running out of friends on the college level after insulting most of his Pac-10 colleagues. But Walsh insists privately that he would return to the NFL only as a quarterback coach or a consultant.

PRIME TIME BY THE BAY: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT?

People still wonder how the 49ers squeezed Deion Sanders under that rubberized salary cap of theirs. Sanders showed he’s worth the effort, intercepting Jim Everett’s pass and prancing 74 yards in a 24-13 victory over the Saints.

“For all of you who are into discipline,” said Coach George Seifert, “I’m fining Deion $100. I told him to start high-stepping at the 20 and he started at the 25. And I’m paying the fine.”

Several NFL owners, less than amused, are urging Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to investigate the case, and especially to check out reports that Sanders took a smaller offer from the 49ers because Nike kicked in more than $1 million to get their star into the spotlight.

TONIGHT’S GAME

Denver at Buffalo

6 p.m., Channel 7

Fortunately for the Broncos, help is on the way. It might not be enough, and it might be too late, but it’s on the way.

At 0-3, the Bronco offense has been held back only by injuries and the improbability that quarterback John Elway has thrown three interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

To shore up the defense, Denver signed Dennis Smith, who will start at safety. In addition, linebacker Mike Croel, cornerback Ben Smith and safety Rondell Jones should be able to play after an assortment of injuries.

Elway’s favorite receiver, Shannon Sharpe, will be back from his injury, and running back Rod Bernstine will also help take pressure off Elway.

The Bills beat the Houston Oilers, 15-7, last week despite not scoring a touchdown. Steve Christie made five field goals and the Bills’ record improved to 2-1. The Bronco defense has a way of helping struggling offenses, so Christie probably won’t get as many chances. The Broncos have given up an NFL-worst 110 points.

Running back Thurman Thomas had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game by gaining 112 against the Oilers.

Defensive end Bruce Smith had four sacks against the Oilers and leads the AFC with 4 1/2. He had seven tackles in that game and linebacker Darryl Talley had eight.

NOTEWORTHY

Packer kicker Chris Jacke now holds the team record with 122 field goals, two more than Chester Marcol’s old mark set during an eight-year career from 1972-74 and 1975-80. Jacke is still far short of the NFL record, held by Jan Stenerud with 373. . . . A squirrel darted across the field near the line of scrimmage in the second quarter of the Tampa Bay-Green Bay game and took refuge behind the goal post. The critter ran up the tunnel when a police officer tried to catch him with a net, delighting the crowd of 58,551. . . . Marshall Faulk’s touchdown run on Indianapolis’ opening drive was the rookie’s fourth rushing touchdown of the season and matched last year’s total by the entire team. . . . Jim Harbaugh’s 41-yard run to set up the first Indianapolis touchdown was the longest of his career and the longest by a Colts’ quarterback since George Taliaferro had a 50-yarder in 1953. . . . Punter Rohn Stark played in his 185th game for the Colts, third-highest in franchise history. David Lee is second on the list with 188 games and Johnny Unitas is first with 221. . . . The Detroit Lions (2-2) had at least shared the NFC Central Division lead after each of their last 19 games, but Sunday’s 23-17 loss to New England dropped them to second place behind Minnesota (3-1). The 19-game run had been the longest current streak in the NFL. . . . Detroit’s Barry Sanders scored his first touchdown in nearly a year. He last reached the end zone on Oct. 24, 1993, with a five-yard run against the Rams. . . . Drew Bledsoe needs 10 yards to move into sixth place on New England’s career passing list. . . . Detroit’s Mel Gray moved into first place on the all-time kickoff return list. Gray’s 25-yard return in the fourth quarter gave him 276, one ahead of Ron Smith (1965-74). . . . Houston kicker Al Del Greco had two field goals and two extra points, giving him 291 career points and moving him past Ken Burrough (288) into seventh place on the Oilers’ career scoring list. . . . Chargers center Courtney Hall sat out the game with the Raiders because of a torn left biceps tendon. It was the first game he’s failed to start since joining the Chargers in 1989, snapping a streak of 83 straight starts. He was replaced by Curtis Whitley. . . . With Sunday’s touchdown reception, former Raider Trey Junkin, a 12-year veteran who plays mostly on special teams for Seattle, has 17 career catches, seven for touchdowns. . . . The Seattle game started two hours later than usual because the university had a freshman convocation at the stadium two hours before game-time. . . . It was the 50th meeting between the Saints and 49ers with San Francisco winning its fourth in a row at Candlestick Park. Overall, the 49ers lead the series 34-14-2. . . . The 49ers have not yet been able to start the same five offensive linemen in consecutive weeks dating back to the first preseason game. . . . Deion Sanders did more for San Francisco than return an interception for a touchdown in the final moments. He also led the team in tackles with seven and knocked down two passes.

PINCH HIM, HE’S DREAMING

Hadn’t he seen this somewhere?

Warren Moon, who watched his old Oiler teammates blow a 35-3 lead at Buffalo in the ’93 playoffs, looked on in horror as his new Viking teammates coughed up a 28-0 lead over the Dolphins.

Deciding it was time to take events in his own hands, Moon asked offensive coordinator Brian Billick to let him open up. “Let me do what I do best,” said Moon later. “Let me throw the ball down the field. If I screw it up, I screw it up.”

Unleashed, Moon led Minnesota on a 70-yard touchdown drive and the Vikings won, 38-35.

Had he been thinking of that game in Buffalo?

Said Moon: “You’re darn tootin’.”

MAKING THE WORLD DOLPHIN-SAFE

Last week, Dolphin Coach Don Shula claimed that Minnesota’s defensive linemen go for quarterbacks’ knees. Viking defensive coordinator Tony Dungy replied that Shula, chairman of the NFL’s competition committee, should stop whining and write some new rules.

Before Sunday’s game, Dungy and Shula chatted briefly and shook hands.

“It was a private conversation,” Dungy said. “We talked about some of the things that had been said and (decided) it’s better off to just leave it alone. The game should be about what happened on the field--two great teams and a lot of excitement.”

Wait til Shula sees the replay of running back Terry Kirby’s injury, which occurred when Kirby was bent in two by a Viking defender.

FOR RAMS FANS AND THE REST OF THE EVERETT FAN CLUB...

Things are looking tricky for Jim Everett in New Orleans, what with the Saints’ once-potent rushing offense having suddenly become extinct.

In Sunday’s loss at San Francisco, the Saints rushed for 49 yards.

Everett gained five on a scramble. Wide receiver Michael Haynes got 13 on a reverse. Punter Tommy Barnhardt gained 21, running after a high snap from center--the Saints’ longest rush of the season.

Three Saint running backs combined for 10 yards in 16 carries.

INJURIES

Kirby injured his right knee on an unsuccessful two-point conversion in the loss at Minnesota. “He’s got ligament damage and it looks like he’s going to be out for the year,” Shula said. . . . Tampa Bay middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson, was carried off the field after severely spraining his left ankle on the first play from scrimmage at Green Bay. X-rays were negative but the Bucs said the injury will be re-evaluated when the swelling goes down.

QUOTEWORTHY

Brown quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who threw six interceptions in his first two games and three touchdown passes Sunday against the Colts: “I’ll take the blame for everything if I have to because I know I can handle it. I’ve been blamed for a lot of things in my career. I know how to shake things off and not let it take away from preparing for the next game.”

Detroit defensive back Ryan McNeil, after winning at Dallas but before losing at home to the Patriots: “We may just have grown into a monster.”

Ever-intense Dolphin linebacker Brian Cox, asked about having been penalized 15 yards for retaliating against a Viking player: “What the . . . . you think? What the . . . . you think? You think I like getting 15-yard penalties? If you do, you’re out of your mind or you’re dumb.”

Pro Football Spotlight compiled by Mark Heisler, Houston Mitchell, Bob Cuomo and Ara Najarian.