Pro Football Spotlight : BATTLE OF THE NETWORK HAIRCUTS

It was the NFL matchup of the day. Raiders versus Chiefs? Chargers versus Eagles?

Forget it.

Try Marv Albert versus son Kenny in the broadcast booth.

In Kansas City, Marv worked the play-by-play for NBC in the Raiders-Chiefs’ overtime thriller.

In Clemson, S.C, Kenny called the action for Fox in the Ram-Panthers’ regulation stinker.

It all started around a dining room table.

Dad: “Son, can you pass that sensational salt?”

Son: “Yeeees!!!”

The Alberts sound so much alike that flipping the remote was scary.

Marv: “Bono on the roll, play-action, fakes, throws, touchdown!”

Click.

Kenny: “Derrick Moore finds a hole, POWERS his way across the 25-yard line.”

Click.

Marv: “Coughed Up. Chiefs say they have it!”

Click.

Kenny: “The pitch back goes to Bettis, good hole up to the 35, he fumbles!”

Somewhere, Harry and Skip Caray were dabbing their eyes.

NO DOZE JOE

NBC keeps giving new analyst Joe Montana chances to say something-- anything --interesting about his rivalry with Steve Young.

As a player, Montana once said Young was “on a big push for himself.”

However, this was the best NBC could beat out of Joe on its pre-game show.

“When he first came from Tampa to San Francisco, he was so used to doing things all on his own, trying to accomplish things by running the ball, and taking a lot of chances,” Montana opined of Young. “Here he comes to San Francisco, there’s a lot of expectations on him, so he’s still trying to do the same things, not realizing all the tools he had around him. He’s starting to settle in, starting to use them, now you see a different players.”

What, really, could Montana say?

In Young’s last 17 games (counting playoffs and Sunday’s stats), he has thrown 43 touchdown passes and five interceptions.

FALL-BUT-NOT-WINTER GUY

Arizona’s comeback victory over Detroit spared the Cardinals an 0-3 start and the annual kickoff edition of Buddy Bashing.

Still, the victory only improved Buddy Ryan’s head coaching record in September to 7-16.

“It’s always better to finish good than to start good,” Ryan rationalized to ESPN.

Ryan, actually, knows little about either.

In his seventh year as a head coach, he has yet to win a playoff game.

Ryan’s troops, though, should once again be the team to beat around Thanksgiving.

WAKE US WHEN IT’S OVER

There is Cal Ripken’s streak and then there’s this one:

When Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre threw to Robert Brooks for a 19-yard touchdown pass in the Packers’ victory over the Giants, it marked the 11th game in a row Favre has thrown more than one touchdown pass.

The nerdiest of nerd stat freaks remind that it left Favre one game short of the NFL record held by Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino and Don Meredith.

You say big deal?

So does Favre.

“That’s the first I’ve heard about it,” he said after the game. “It’s not like Cal Ripken, because I don’t think I’ll get a 20-minute standing ovation if I break it.”

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FACTS AND FIGURES

TOP PERFORMANCES

PASSING

*--*

Player, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD JEFF GEORGE, Falcons 39 27 386 2 JIM EVERETT, Saints 43 23 370 3 JOHN ELWAY, Broncos 47 30 327 2 BOOMER ESIASON, Jets 43 27 296 3 JEFF BLAKE, Bengals 42 22 286 2 STEVE YOUNG, 49ers 42 29 284 3 RICK MIRER, Seahawks 30 21 279 2 WILL FURRER, Oilers 41 22 258 1 TROY AIKMAN, Cowboys 38 24 246 1 JIM HARBAUGH, Colts 33 19 241 1 GUS FREROTTE, Redskins 26 16 233 2

*--*

RECEIVING

*--*

Player, Team Rec. Yds. TD ERIC METCALF, Falcons 11 155 0 BRETT PERRIMAN, Lions 7 114 1 MICHAEL IRVIN, Cowboys 8 107 1 JAKE REED, Vikings 7 107 1 BERT EMANUEL, Falcons 6 104 0 ISAAC BRUCE, Rams 5 100 0

*--*

RUSHING

*--*

Player, Team Car. Yds. TD EMMITT SMITH, Cowboys 20 150 2 BARRY SANDERS, Lions 24 147 1 NATRONE MEANS, Chargers 23 122 0 GARRISON HEARST, Cardinals 22 121 0 CHRIS WARREN, Seahawks 24 109 1 CRAIG HEYWARD, Falcons 25 102 1

*--*

--Compiled by Bob Cuomo and Chris Dufresne.