Pro Football SPOTLIGHT

YEAH, BUT YOU CAN GET A REALLY GOOD SLURPEE THERE

The Cowboys were sending out an SOS after they lost quarterbacks Troy Aikman (knee) and Rodney Peete (thumb) and finished their 31-7 victory over Washington with third-stringer Jason Garrett.

“We’ve got to find us a quarterback,” said Coach Barry Switzer. “There’s none at the 7-11. But we have to find somebody.

“We can’t rack the table and quit. We still have to play the last five balls.”

Owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys will “go with what we got” in their next game, on Thursday, and start searching next week. But they can’t be extravagant. They’re only $40,000 under the salary cap.

The Redskins also used three quarterbacks in the game--Gus Frerotte, John Friesz and Heath Shuler.

“All I know, six quarterbacks in one game has to be an NFL first,” Switzer said. “It at least ties a record.”

TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK

After being sacked twice and throwing an incomplete, fourth-down pass with time running out in a 12-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Randall Cunningham was thoroughly disgusted with the day’s events.

“The way we played, we can’t beat anybody,” Cunningham said. “We couldn’t beat a Pop Warner squad.”

MISSING: VIKING PASS DEFENSE

Last week, the Minnesota Vikings allowed New England’s Drew Bledsoe to set NFL records with 45 completions and 70 attempts. On Sunday, the New York Jets’ Boomer Esiason picked apart the Vikings for 22 completions in 29 attempts. He threw three touchdowns, and was not intercepted.

That was the second consecutive week the Vikings couldn’t intercept a pass, and they were unhappy.

“It’s not what we’re doing different now, it’s what teams are doing differently against us,” cornerback Anthony Parker said. “We have to have our leadership step up and we need to make some big plays.”

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER

Seattle defeated Tampa Bay on a seven-yard touchdown run by Mack Strong with 42 seconds left. Seahawk offensive coordinator Larry Kennan, with no timeouts remaining, caught the Buccaneers sleeping. They were expecting a pass.

Said Coach Tom Flores: “Larry called the play and I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ But then I thought if we got outside the pass rush, only defensive backs would be left.”

AN EXPENSIVE LESSON

We know they do things big in Texas. But sometimes, they go a bit overboard.

The Cowboys, who were fined $10,000 by the league for failing to report Troy Aikman’s thumb injury prior to last week’s game against San Francisco, complied with the letter of the law this week.

They issued a post-game injury report that included 15 names: Aikman (sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee), Peete (sprained right thumb), cornerback Larry Brown (left elbow contusion), linebacker Dixon Edwards (sprained right foot), defensive end Charles Haley (sprained right big toe), wide receiver Alvin Harper (bruised lower back), defensive tackle Chad Hennings (sprained right ankle), wide receiver Michael Irvin (sprained right quad), guard Derek Kennard (reaggravated sprained right big toe), guard Nate Newton (reaggravated sprained ankle), linebacker Godfrey Myles (sprained right knee), linebacker Darrin Smith (left calf contusion), running back Emmitt Smith (reaggravated left shoulder sprain), cornerback Kevin Smith (reaggravated sprained right Achilles tendon) and guard Ron Stone (sprained right elbow).

TONIGHT’S GAME: N.Y. Giants at Houston

6 p.m., Channel 7

The Giants (3-7) have lost seven consecutive games and the Oilers have lost six.

The Oilers are 1-9, but with the exception of last week, the losses have rarely been the fault of the defense. That is why defensive coordinator Jeff Fisher was elevated to head coach to replace the fired Jack Pardee.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was also fired, so the run-and-shoot offense will be scrapped except for when the team is way behind. Chances are you’ll still see a lot of it.

Billy Joe Tolliver has been named the starting quarterback after directing the Oilers to their best offensive showing this season last week. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 142 yards and the Oilers scored a season-high 31 points.

The problem was that the Bengals--a team nickname usually preceded by the word hapless-- scored 33 points against the Oilers.

Quarterback Dave Brown returns to the starting lineup for the Giants after Kent Graham’s dismal debut, He completed nine of 26 passes for 92 yards and an interception in a 10-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Giants need to establish the running game to help their young quarterback, but everyone knows that, so opposing defenses stack the line to stop the run and dare the Giants to throw.

So far that strategy has worked.

NOTEWORTHY

Block party: Green Bay kicker Chris Jacke had an extra-point blocked for the first time in his six-year career. . . . Buffalo wide receiver Billy Brooks made the 500th reception of his career, moving into 39th place on the NFL list. . . . He coaches better on a full stomach: In his six seasons, Detroit Coach Wayne Fontes is 24-32 in games played before Thanksgiving and 18-12 from Thanksgiving on. . . . Catchy leader: With 55 points, Herman Moore leads the Lions in scoring; the last Detroit receiver to pace the team in scoring for a season was Bill Gabrell in 1968. . . . There’s no place like, uh, never mind: The Indianapolis Colts are having remarkable success at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, where they haven’t lost since 1980. Their only recent year without a victory at Riverfront was 1991, when the teams didn’t play each other. . . . Kevin Williams’ 83-yard punt return for a touchdown was the fourth-longest in Cowboy history. . . . Brian Mitchell established a Redskin single-season record with 1,192 yards in kickoff returns. Mitchell also had 229 all-purpose yards, giving him a club-record 1,873 for the season. . . . The Cowboys have won 13 consecutive against the NFC East. The last time they lost to a division rival was the 1993 season opener to the Redskins, 35-16. . . . Dallas has met Washington 70 times in the Cowboys’ 35-year history, the most games the Cowboys have played against any team. Dallas improved its overall record against Washington to 39-29-2. . . . Mike Tomczak’s 343 passing yards were a Steeler high since Neil O’Donnell’s 355 yards at Cleveland on Oct. 24, 1993. . . . Running in place: The 37 rushing yards were a season-low for Miami. . . . The four sacks by Pittsburgh were the most by a Miami opponent since the New York Jets also had four on Sept. 12, 1993. . . . Dan Marino, sacked only 10 times previously in 10 games, has never been sacked more than five times. He has been sacked 174 times in 165 career starts. Marino has 21 touchdown passes, but only four with six interceptions in his last four games. . . . The Steeler defense has allowed a league-low 13 touchdowns. . . . Miami has scored only 12 points in the first quarter all season. . . . Passing grade: Drew Bledsoe set Patriot records of 285 completions and 507 pass attempts in one season. The previous marks were 276 completions by Tony Eason in 1986 and 473 attempts by Babe Parilli in 1964. . . . New York Jet receiver Art Monk extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 174. Monk is chasing Steve Largent’s record of 177 games. . . . Moon rise: Minnesota quarterback Warren Moon’s two touchdown passes gave him 210, moving him into 14th place on the all-time list, one ahead of Jim Hart. Moon’s 400 yards also made him the first Minnesota quarterback to have two 400-yard games in a season.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW . . .

NBC commentator Paul Maguire was irate about the officiating down the stretch of Denver’s 20-13 victory over Cleveland.

A fumble by the Browns kept two questionable fourth-down pass-interference calls against Kansas City from affecting the outcome. Maguire was also incensed by an intentional-grounding call against Cleveland quarterback Mark Rypien on a play on which he was hit before letting the ball go.

The referees made 24 calls in that game, 15 against the Browns.

Probably the day’s most critical mistake by officials was made in Miami’s 16-13 overtime loss to Pittsburgh.

During the overtime, the Dolphins faced a third and 19 at the Steeler 47, when an apparent completion to O.J. McDuffie inside the 20 squirted loose after he hit the ground. The Steelers recovered and argued it was a fumble; the Dolphins said McDuffie was down on contact.

The officials called it incomplete, although TV replays showed McDuffie taking several steps before striking the turf.

“It was definitely a completed pass,” McDuffie said. “Even if the ball came out, it wasn’t a fumble. That was a completed pass.”

The Dolphins ended up punting, and the Steelers drove downfield and kicked the winning field goal.

. . . . WE LOVED INSTANT REPLAY

The San Diego Chargers trailed the New Patriots, 10-3, when they apparently were victimized by the officials.

The Chargers’ Dennis Gibson intercepted a pass by Drew Bledsoe at the New England 35. But linebacker Junior Seau was called for roughing the passer, although replays indicated he swatted his right arm at Bledsoe’s helmet but never touched him.

“He swung a roundhouse with an open hand, in my judgment, and hit the side of the quarterback’s head,” referee Gordon McCarter said.

A HEAD COACH WITHOUT A BIG HEAD

New Oiler Coach Jeff Fisher, who makes his debut tonight, has been called “Buddy Ryan without the ego.” His friends and colleagues agree.

“I think that describes Jeff pretty well. He has his ego in check,” San Francisco General Manager Carmen Policy said of Fisher, who was the 49ers’ defensive backs coach before going to Houston to become the defensive coordinator. He was promoted to head coach last week when Jack Pardee was fired.

Said USC Coach John Robinson: “I knew Jeff as a player, and I’ve known him as a coach. He has always had that sparkle in his eyes. Even back in college, Jeff had the look of a guy who was going to be a leader of men. He knew what he wanted to do. I think giving this job to Jeff is a great call by the Oilers.”

INJURY REPORT

The Arizona Cardinals lost two offensive starters in three plays against the Philadelphia Eagles. On the second play of the second quarter, Cardinal left tackle Luis Sharpe injured ligaments in his right knee when an Eagle player rolled over it as Sharpe was blocking for running back Ronald Moore. Two snaps later, wide receiver Randal Hill pulled a muscle.

The Bills’ Thurman Thomas bruised his left knee and offensive lineman Corbin Lacina injured his left foot. . . . The Packers’ Reggie White sprained his left elbow making a tackle. Also injured were Tim Hauck, who sprained a knee, defensive lineman John Jurkovic, who injured his right leg in the fourth quarter, and wide receiver Anthony Morgan, who suffered a concussion.

Dolphin linebacker Chris Singleton injured his ankle. . . . Steeler defensive end Gerald Williams tore a tricep and guard Todd Kalis left in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. . . . Seahawk tailback Chris Warren injured his right hip after gaining 116 yards on 16 carries. The Seahawks also lost starting cornerback Carlton Gray, who broke his right forearm.