AROUND THE NFC

EAST / The Quarterback Snake He didn’t win last week, but Arizona quarterback Jake Plummer wrote his name in the record books with the most yards passing by a rookie quarterback. Plummer threw for 388 yards against the Giants, breaking Troy Aikman’s mark of 379, set against the Cardinals in 1989. “I hope he’s not mad,” Plummer said of Aikman. . . . Dallas’ last visit to Wisconsin, a 20-17 victory in Milwaukee in 1991, started an eight-game winning streak against the Packers. Dallas has won the last seven in Texas Stadium. The Cowboys haven’t played at Lambeau Field since Oct. 8, 1989, when they lost, 31-13. They traded Herschel Walker the following week, and that allowed them to pick up the needed draft choices and build themselves into a Super Bowl power. . . . The Giants have finished in last place 13 times, but have never come back to finish first the next year.

Sidelights: The Cowboys had the first pick in the 1989 draft, considered taking Michigan State tackle Tony Mandarich, but took Aikman. The Packers took Mandarich. The next three players selected were Barry Sanders by Detroit, Derrick Thomas by Kansas City and Deion Sanders by Atlanta.

Surprise: No Giant quarterback has thrown for 300 yards in the 64 regular-season games since Phil Simms passed for 337 against the Cardinals on Nov. 28, 1993. There have been 235 300-yard passing performances in the NFL since Simms’ big day, 33 this year.

CENTRAL / New Business Card?

Chicago running back Raymont Harris, the team’s best player this season, has not been offered a new contract and will become a free agent in February. Harris said that if the Bears wait to re-sign him, he might not be back. “That would be kind of tough,” he said. “That’s why you should always handle your [business] before that time arrives, because, as I said before and Coach [Dave] Wannstedt told me, ‘If you let a guy go into free agency, you basically have to be prepared for him not to be on your team anymore.’ ” . . . Lion quarterback Scott Mitchell played brilliantly on a sore hamstring against the Vikings. “Scott was just tremendous,” Coach Bobby Ross said. “We probably need to strain his other hamstring to get his best ballgame out of him.” Ross is not known for having a sense of humor. . . . The Cowboys are 6-0 against Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren, and the closest margin of victory has been 10 points.

Sidelights: Harris didn’t play for the Bears last week, and sat in the press box, watching the team lose. He wasn’t impressed. “If I was a fan, I would probably react in the same way [as booing fans],” he said. “I wouldn’t even come to the game. I’d probably be on the no-shows. It was real weird and kind of sad too, to know I’m a part of that.”

Surprise: The Lions have beaten division leaders Green Bay, Tampa Bay and Minnesota, and yet are three games out of first place.

WEST / There’s No Kerry-Over

Not ready for prime time? Carolina quarterback Kerry Collins threw three interceptions in each of his last two starts against San Francisco and Denver. Collins, a Pro Bowl alternate last year, is now the league leader with 16 interceptions. . . . Since their 0-5 start, the Falcons have gone 3-3. . . . The Saints will pay Billy Joe Hobert $15,000 for each of the team’s five remaining games, but $1.88 million overall if he stays with the team for three years. The Bills cut Hobert after he admitted to not preparing properly as a backup. “Things were unfortunate back then, but I thank God for New Orleans and a few other things,” he said. “I’ve got myself focused again and I’m back on track.” . . . The 49ers appeared intent on getting Steve Young killed to start the season and surrendered 29 sacks in the first eight games. But they have given up only two in the last three.

Sidelights: Saint starting safety Anthony Newman balked at taking an MRI exam this week for an injured neck, harking back to an experience he had with the Rams. Newman said he suffers from claustrophobia, and had to call off an MRI on his injured shoulder in 1994 after spending five minutes inside the cylinder used for MRIs. “I started to panic,” he said. “I said, ‘Get me out of here.’ Remember, we’re in California and all the time I’m in this tube I’m thinking, ‘Now, what if an earthquake hits? What am I going to do?’ ”

Surprise: A year after winning the NFC West title and coming within a game of the Super Bowl, the Panthers are 0-6 against teams with winning records.