THE NFL / BILL PLASCHKE : Taking Stock of the Changing Commodities

With everyone in the NFL talking about stock these days--particularly disgruntled Miami Dolphin employees who were not given that hot tip by owner Wayne Huizenga--it fits that the first week of the season was similar to hundreds of public offerings.

After a summer of buildup, players and teams put on their Sunday best so the world could see what they were worth.

In the case of holdouts, backups and Tampa Bay Bucs, plenty.

In the case of the New York Jets and their new coach, well, the one-word headline Monday in one of the New York tabloids spoke volumes.

KOtite.

On this week’s new offerings, a tout sheet:

Going Up: Trent Dilfer and the amazing Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

By throwing all sorts of passes in all kinds of traffic, second-year quarterback Dilfer proved he is afraid of nobody.

And that’s who dominates the rest of the Buccaneer schedule: nobody.

The Buccaneers play both expansion teams, plus the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers.

“I believe we’re a good football team . . . but we can’t allow ourselves to get too confident,” said Hardy Nickerson, who then laughed. “When is the last time you’ve heard that around here?”

Dropping Fast: The childish Ricky Watters.

So this is what the San Francisco 49ers were talking about.

In his first game with the Philadelphia Eagles, Watters cried. He griped. He complained.

And then, when it was time for him to be a man by laying himself out across the middle for a pass from Randall Cunningham, he pulled back.

“I’m not going to trip up there and get knocked out,” he said. “For who? For what?”

Going Up: Deion Sanders.

While watching 49er defensive backs Eric Davis and Marquez Pope burned constantly against the New Orleans Saints, Sanders reportedly turned to teammates in the San Francisco Giant clubhouse and said:

“The price just went up.”

Dropping Real Fast: West Coast offenses.

After spending months in darkened projector rooms, it seems defensive coordinators have finally figured them out.

The Philadelphia Eagles did not score an offensive touchdown. The Denver Broncos scored one.

The San Francisco 49ers scored two. The Green Bay Packers scored two. The Kansas City Chiefs scored three, but two were on long passes that are uncharacteristic of the trendy attack.

“Everything is cyclical,” said George Young, Giant general manager. “Remember the run and shoot?”

Going Up: Players who missed training camp in a salary dispute.

Robert Smith, running back for the Minnesota Vikings, was sitting at home studying astronomy one day, and running for 66 yards in 12 carries the next.

Michael Westbrook didn’t show up until late August, yet is already the Washington Redskins’ most exciting receiver since Gary Clark.

Last week Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said that despite much criticism, “There was no feeling that the preseason should be shortened from four games.”

Somebody ought to think again.

Dropping Like a Lead Balloon: Magic Johnson, for following Al Davis to Oakland and cheering for the Raiders there.

What are we to think?

One minute he is bringing jobs to our South Central neighborhoods.

The next minute, he is cheering for a business that stole them away.

Going Up: Backup quarterbacks.

Gus Frerotte will keep the Redskin job ahead of injured Heath Shuler the rest of the season. He has no less than Redskin icon Sonny Jurgensen backing him.

If Mark Brunell is not named the Jacksonville quarterback by this week, he will be in the lineup ahead of Steve Beuerlein by the end of the month. Brunell showed he can run, and the Jaguars showed they need a quarterback who can run.

Jim Harbaugh played like he should be the starter ahead of Craig Erickson in Indianapolis, but, smart and quiet, he is the perfect backup. And that is where he will stay while Erickson struggles to learn the new offense.

Dropping So Far, We Won’t See Them Again Until February: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

They can beat Cleveland--the only games on their schedule that matter--with quarterback Mike Tomczak.

They cannot beat them without Rod Woodson, who is out for the season because of a knee injury.

Going Up: Morten Andersen, Atlanta Falcon kicker.

The important thing was not his three field goals against the Carolina Panthers, but the one he missed. It was from 58 yards.

Anyone else think the Falcons will give him a chance to break Tom Dempsey’s record 63-yard field goal? On Nov. 8, it will be the 25th anniversary of the kick.

Dump Him. Now: Jerome Bettis.

He’ll get one more chance this week to prove that something in his seemingly idyllic life has not gone terribly wrong.