THE NFL / BILL PLASCHKE : Hey, Maybe It Isn’t So Bad in L.A. After All

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Two weeks into the season, the professional football teams in New York haven’t won any more games than those in Los Angeles.

They haven’t scored any more rushing touchdowns.

They haven’t held on to any more two-touchdown leads.

New Yorkers were given a choice of emotions today when they awoke to find their teams 0-for-1995.

The stunned ones could empathize with this tabloid headline: NUMB AND NUMBER.

For the angry ones, there was the cross-town tab that screamed “CHOKIN’ DOGS.”

In the first week, the Giants and Jets were blown out by a combined score of 87-14.

On Sunday, both teams blew fourth-quarter, 14-point leads to lose.

And everyone thinks pro football in this town is comatose.

It is the first time in Giant Coach Dan Reeves’ 30-year career that he has started a season 0-2.

It is the the first time in recent memory that Boomer Esiason--the Jet quarterback voted the league’s most cooperative player last season--has stiffed the media.

“There is going to be a lot of finger pointing around here,” Giant linebacker Michael Brooks said.

Where to start?

We knew the Jets would be awful. We just didn’t know this collection of cast-offs and wanna-bes would be so bad so soon that the weak-armed Esiason would look good in comparison.

Blame it on a terrible off-season by a front office that has endured the personal trial of General Manager Dick Steinberg, who is battling stomach cancer.

The draft-eve trade of receiver Ron Moore to Arizona for running back Ron Moore and a pick has been a waste. Or worse.

The Jets have been left with no receivers--unless you count two guys named Wilson and Chrebet, and here’s a nickel if you can guess their first names. OK, Charles and Wayne.

They have also been left with no feature running back, considering Moore has fumbled in the first two games while gaining 61 yards.

Management also allowed three-fourths of the secondary to leave via free agency, and has been rewarded with the spectacle of defensive backs who have allowed five touchdown passes in two games.

The Giants have no excuse.

They began training camp with most of the 22 starters who led them to six consecutive victories at the end of 1994.

Plus Herschel Walker.

But after gaining eight yards on five carries with only lackluster kick returns, Walker admitted, “I’m paid a lot of money to help this team win. . . . So far, I haven’t done anything.”

Neither has a once-heralded group of linebackers that allowed Kimble Anders-- a fullback --to catch 11 passes for Kansas City Sunday.

If the coach wants Dave Brown to be his quarterback--management has consistently ignored potential help from free agency and the draft--he should treat him like a quarterback.

Allowing Brown to throw a pass now and then in a crucial situation wouldn’t hurt.

Brown threw only 14 times against the Chiefs, and only once in the final 17:11, including overtime. He led the Giants to one first down after halftime.

In this new age of the NFL, you must not only be good but smart. It is a lesson even two historic franchises from the league’s most important market can still stand to learn.

YOU DON’T SAY

--Word from the Philadelphia Eagles is that Randall Cunningham will be reinstalled as starting quarterback next week against the San Diego Chargers even though Rodney Peete led them to victory Sunday in reserve.

Big mistake. One defensive coordinator said last week that as long as Cunningham is the quarterback, the Eagles’ new “West Coast” offense is going south.

Peete has the skills and instincts to run it. Cunningham doesn’t.

--Word from the Arizona Cardinals is that Dave Krieg will be reinstated as their starting quarterback after being pulled for Mike Buck Sunday night.

The biggest mistake cannot be rectified until after the season, when owner Bill Bidwill must realize that Coach Buddy Ryan is ruining his franchise.

--Word is the Cleveland Browns are merely waiting for Andre Rison--four catches for 32 yards in two games--to start ripping people.

Either that or start working harder to get open against defenses that can constantly double-cover him now that he is no longer in a run-and-shoot offense.