PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Chiefs Win; Moon’s Struggles Continue

Even without their first-team defense for most of the game Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs were too good for Warren Moon and the Minnesota Vikings.

Linebacker Tracy Rogers returned a fumble for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and the Chiefs had five sacks and three interceptions in a 17-13 victory at Minneapolis in the final exhibition game for both teams.

Kansas City (3-1) started without three defensive starters, and pulled most of the other regulars by the second quarter.

Moon, who was replaced by Brad Johnson to start the third quarter, was 12 of 18 for 85 yards. Moon did little to allay concerns about his sore throwing shoulder, completing only one pass for more than 10 yards.

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Rookie cornerback Alundis Brice’s interception late in the fourth quarter gave Dallas its only touchdown as the Cowboys (2-3) defeated the Houston Oilers, 10-0, at San Antonio, Tex.

Brice, who also picked off an earlier pass, caught a pass by Will Furrer intended for Chris Sanders on the Oilers’ 23-yard line with 2:28 remaining and ran it in for the score.

The Cowboys used the game to take a look at backups as starters Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith did not play.

Cowboy rookie running back Sherman Williams had 45 yards in 26 carries. Aikman’s backup, Jason Garrett, completed his first seven passes and connected on nine of 13 for 65 yards.

The Oilers (0-3) did not play rookie quarterback Steve McNair.

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Steve Young made only a cameo appearance, leading two scoring drives in less than a quarter of work, and the San Francisco 49ers (3-2) beat the Seattle Seahawks, 17-7, at San Francisco.

Young, who completed six of 10 throws for 103 yards, left the game with 1:58 to go in the first quarter. Many of the other regulars soon followed him.

San Francisco was already without five injured starters, including both offensive tackles. The injured players, with the possible exceptions of fullback William Floyd (knee) and right tackle Harris Barton (calf) are expected back by next Sunday’s opener.

Rick Mirer played the first half for the Seahawks (2-2), completing seven of 16 passes for 121 yards.

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Things looked familiar for the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants. The Panthers won again without a great rushing game, and New York quarterback Dave Brown was injured again.

The expansion Panthers used two second-half field goals by John Kasay to rally for a 6-3 victory at Clemson, S.C., giving them a 3-2 record in an exhibition season in which their offense didn’t produce a single rushing touchdown.

It briefly appeared as if the game might exact a much higher toll on the Giants (3-1), who lost for the the first time since November. Brown took a hard shot in the second quarter that looked capable of causing serious damage, but it was diagnosed as a concussion.

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The San Diego Chargers released five players, including linebacker Chris Cowart, a fourth-round pick out of Florida State.

Also cut were offensive linemen Gerald Slovacek and Earnest Greene and defensive ends Vernon Edwards and Cornell Thomas.

The Chargers must cut five more players today to reach the 53-player limit.

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Art Schlichter, whose career was ruined by a gambling addiction, says the NFL fears that problem more than drugs or alcohol.

Speaking from the Hamilton County Jail in Noblesville, Ind., where he is serving an 18-to-24-month federal sentence for bank fraud, Schlichter told Inside Sports magazine he was “scared to death to come forward and say I had a gambling problem.”

“The NFL will deal with drugs and alcohol, but they don’t want to hear about gambling; they just suspend you for life for gambling,” Schlichter, 35, said. “I understand that gambling goes to the core of the game, but so do drugs and alcohol. You can’t tell me a guy on drugs can’t influence the outcome of a game.”