Don’t Look Now, but Bills Getting Closer to <i> That Game</i> : Pro football: Buffalo, which plays at San Francisco tonight, is sitting pretty in the playoff picture.

They’re back, the Super Bowl sad sacks, and with the exception of the Buffalo Bills, only Jay Leno and David Letterman can be pleased.

“I heard ‘em all, all the jokes,” said John Butler, the Bills’ general manager. “I read how the Atlanta Braves didn’t want to be like the Bills. I saw the stuff on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I took it all in.

“But it wasn’t funny; I swear, I didn’t laugh at a single one. I know it’s just a joke to get laughter, but they have no idea what it takes, what this team accomplished. People make a joke and it’s almost like they are saying the team is a joke. That doesn’t sit well with me.”

But how will it sit with America if the Bills (8-4) move on to be whipped again by either Dallas or San Francisco in this season’s Super Bowl?

“If it happens, or even if it doesn’t happen, I think 10 to 15 years from now people will look back and say that was truly amazing what these guys did in getting to four consecutive Super Bowls,” Butler said. “We signed Jim Jeffcoat, who played with Dallas, as a free agent during the off-season and he wears two championship rings. When he got here he said, it almost killed them to go to two straight Super Bowls. He said it took so much out of them, and we went to four in a row.”

The Bills have the tiebreaking advantage over the Indianapolis Colts and are in position to secure the AFC East Division title. They were in the running to gain the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but stumbled against the New England Patriots last week and play the 49ers tonight in San Francisco.But they will probably be in the playoffs.

They still might gain a first-round bye and the frozen tundra advantage in the divisional playoffs. And if successful, they will be one more victory away from a fifth Super Bowl visit in six years.

Just how do they do it? The Bills have stressed continuity with Jim Kelly at quarterback, Thurman Thomas at running back, Andre Reed at wide receiver and Coach Marv Levy overseeing the whole production. In addition, Butler has remained a constant, the man who has overseen one of the most successful scouting departments in the league since 1988.

“A lot of our core football players are so prideful,” Butler said. “And they still know how to win. You add a number of young players to the mix with great veteran leadership, and good things can happen.

“What makes it all work is Marv Levy. I don’t think he receives enough credit for his remarkable guidance. He’s taken a number of young superstars with great egos and meshed them all together.”

Butler, who picked Thomas in the second round of the draft and Reed in the third, has worked with only three head coaches in his career: George Allen, Don Coryell and Levy.

“How blessed can you be?” he said. “I hope some of it has rubbed off on me: the great knowledge of Allen on judging talent and how to use it, the great passion for the game exhibited by Coryell and the great organizational skills of Levy. These are men who cared for the game.”

Those who care for the game have not been laughing at the Bills, but trying to emulate them.

“The people in the profession know it may never happen again: a team being good enough to go to four straight Super Bowls,” Butler said. “When you’re the king of the hill everyone plays their best against you. It’s a tough task.

“I know there were so many things written this year: The Bills have had their great run; they’re done; and now they will go quietly away. But defensively we’re probably better than we were in those four Super Bowl years. We don’t have the offensive weapons we had during that time, but this is a good team.”

They have won this season without Thomas at times because of injury, and will play their eighth consecutive game without Reed, who cannot get over a hamstring injury. Somehowthey have won. And there may be no stopping them from another Super Bowl thrashing.

“What about all the games this team won to get to those Super Bowls? Don’t those count?” Butler said. “Hey, that’s fine. What a great knock to have: They just always go to the Super Bowl.”

And lose.

ON TV

* SINKING . . . SINKING

Atlanta (7-5) at Miami (6-6), Channel 11, 10 a.m.: Both teams were on a dead run to the playoffs only to collapse. The Falcons rank No. 29 on defense, which might help resurrect Miami’s chances for a late-season wild-card run. However, Miami has given up 24 touchdown passes; only hapless Arizona has given up more.

Fat chance: The Falcons have won 14 in a row when limiting the opposition to 20 points or less.

* REVENGE

Washington (3-9) at Dallas (10-2), Channel 11, 1 p.m.: The Cowboys were run over by Terry Allen (121 yards) and the Redskins in their earlier meeting this season, and that won’t sit well with the Cowboys. Washington’s defense ranks No. 29 against the run, so you know why Emmitt Smith (knee) is in such a hurry to recover.

Blowout potential: The Cowboys rank No. 1 in scoring; the Redskins are No. 23 in points allowed.

* DIVISION CLINCHER

Kansas City (10-2) at Oakland (8-4), Channel 4, 1 p.m.: If the Chiefs win, they clinch the AFC West Division title with three games to play. They also have a two-game edge on the rest of the conference in their quest to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Raiders are just looking to score a touchdown.

Marcus who? Harvey Williams needs 73 rushing yards to become first Raider back to hit the 1,000-yard mark since Marcus Allen in 1985.

* NFC FEEDING TIME

Buffalo (8-4) at San Francisco (8-4), ESPN, 5 p.m.: Kansas City, Miami and Oakland tried earlier this season to assert themselves as Super Bowl hopefuls only to get slapped around by the NFC. The Bills have won 11 of their last 14 games against NFC teams, but then there were those four Super Bowls.

Good luck: The 49ers have the No. 1 defense, No. 1 rushing defense and lead the league with 22 interceptions.

WILD-CARD DERBY

Tampa Bay (6-6) at Minnesota (6-6): The Buccaneers rank No. 18 on defense, and get tougher on the goal line, ranking No. 5 in fewest points allowed. The Vikings rank No. 23 on defense and No. 26 in surrendering points. So what? Tampa has Trent Dilfer at quarterback and can’t score.

That’s perseverance: Tackle Paul Gruber has started in a team-record 118 games; in that time the Buccaneers have compiled a 40-78 record.

TEASERS

Philadelphia (8-4) at Seattle (5-7): Are the Eagles good enough to challenge Dallas or San Francisco, or do they take a pratfall against the up-and-down Seahawks? Rodney Peete is 7-1 as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, but still angry because he was benched briefly last week. The Seahawks wish they had the likes of Eagle backup Randall Cunningham; instead, they have the AFC’s 14th-ranked quarterback in Rick Mirer, who has thrown for a league-high 19 interceptions.

Hall of Fame start: Joey Galloway needs nine catches to match Steve Largent’s rookie performance for the Seahawks (54 in 1976).

Cincinnati (5-7) at Green Bay (8-4): Are the Packers good enough to challenge Dallas or San Francisco or do they take a pratfall against the up-and-down Bengals? The Packers are 11-1 in the last 12 games at Lambeau Field and have the league’s hottest quarterback in Brett Favre, who has thrown 28 touchdown passes. The Bengals will counter with the worst-ranked defense in the league.

No stopping him: Favre has 61 touchdown passes in his last 28 games.

UPSTARTS

Indianapolis (7-5) at Carolina (5-7): The Colts have sneaked up on everybody and are positioning themselves for a playoff run. Quarterback Jim Harbaugh continues to be the NFL’s highest-rated passer, and running back Marshall Faulk, who has 24 touchdowns in his 28 NFL games, needs 96 yards to become 13th player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in his first two seasons. Carolina presents an imposing roadblock, though, because it leads the league in pouncing on opponents’ mistakes with 31 takeaways.

Future star? Carolina quarterback Kerry Collins has thrown seven touchdown passes in the last three games.

St. Louis (6-6) at N.Y. Jets (3-9): The theme this week in St. Louis is that the playoffs begin now for the Rams. That ought to stump the Rams: The last six years, the Rams concentrated on Christmas shopping in December. First roadblock: Jet quarterback Boomer Esiason has played the Rams only once in his career and passed for a career-best 490 yards and three touchdowns.

Wide right: The NFL average for field goals this season is 19 per team; the Rams have made nine.

Cleveland (4-8) at San Diego (5-7): The beat the Raiders last week without scoring a touchdown and are now talking about winning their final four games to advance to the playoffs. Sounds like an episode on HBO’s “Dream On.” The Browns simply want to get out of Cleveland, which explains why they arrived in San Diego Thursday.

On the rebound: The Chargers cut John Carney a few years ago before re-signing him, and now he’s two field goals away from becoming the team’s record holder, passing Rolf Benirschke (146).

New Orleans (5-7) at New England (5-7): Two teams going nowhere, only they don’t know it yet. The Patriots were 8-1 the last two Decembers, and although it’s probably too late, they have won four of their last six games. The Saints have gone 5-2 since opening 0-5, and it is too late.

One of the great ones: Saint quarterback Jim Everett needs 173 passing yards to reach 3,000 for seventh time--fourth most in NFL history.

Jacksonville (3-9) at Denver (6-6): The Broncos probably threw away their season with last week’s disaster in Houston, but they are 5-1 in Mile High Stadium and get an expansion visit. Five of the Jaguars’ nine losses have been by seven or fewer points. Make that 10?

Makings for trouble: Jacksonville’s offense ranks No. 29;the Broncos’ is No. 2.

CLINCHER

Houston (5-7) at Pittsburgh (8-4): The Steelers can wrap up the AFC Central title for the third time in the last four years. The Oilers came out of hibernation last week with 42 points, but Pittsburgh’s defense ranks No. 2 in the league.

Full speed ahead: Houston running back Marion Butts has had 14 opportunities to run on third and one this season; he has been successful 13 times.