SPOTLIGHT : A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

LOOSE GANNON

Quarterback Rich Gannon had led the Minnesota Vikings to three consecutive victories, and he wasn’t thrilled to hear that he might not get a chance for No. 4.

Gannon moved into the starting lineup after Wade Wilson was injured at the end of a Sept. 23 loss at Chicago. Gannon lost his first four starts as the Vikings fell to 1-6 but made several big plays to help the Vikings take a 4-6 record into Sunday’s rematch with the Bears.

Earlier in the week, however, Coach Jerry Burns said that no player should lose a job because of an injury and hinted that Wilson would reclaim his job when he was ready. Wilson was reactivated this week.

“Yes, it bothered me,” Gannon said. “But what could I do about it?”

For one thing, he could throw three touchdown passes and help the Vikings beat the Bears 41-13, leading Burns to say: “Gannon is our quarterback.”

“I think I’m playing well. We’re winning,” said Gannon, who threw no interceptions for the second game in a row. “I’m not going to worry about Burnsie yanking me. I can’t play like that. The only thing I can do about a quarterback controversy is go out and play well. I’m not going out there against Green Bay next week looking over my shoulder.”

He shouldn’t have to, said Wilson, who spent three years fighting Tommy Kramer for the starting job.

“Rich is playing outstanding and we’re winning,” he said. “He should stay in the lineup.”

THEY’RE BACK

Eric Dickerson and Herschel Walker have a lot in common. They both are big, fast running backs, both were big ground-gainers in the 1980s and both were traded in mind-boggling deals involving players and draft choices.

They both have been controversial figures lately, for different reasons.

Dickerson held out and then was suspended by the Indianapolis Colts. Walker was just about put in mothballs by the Minnesota Vikings because of fumbles and lack of productivity.

But things changed Sunday.

Dickerson, who had been averaging 3.2 yards a carry since resolving his contract dispute six games ago, carried 22 times for 143 yards and one touchdown as the Colts defeated Cincinnati, 34-20.

Walker, meanwhile, amassed 176 total yards as the Vikings rolled to their fourth consecutive victory, 41-13 over the Chicago Bears.

Dickerson’s 43-yard run keyed a drive that set up his one-yard score, the 83rd rushing touchdown of Dickerson’s career, moving him one ahead of Jim Taylor and into fifth place on the all-time list.

Walker, who had a 58-yard touchdown run last week, returned the opening kickoff 64 yards, carried 16 times for 58 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Vikings stayed in the thick of the playoff picture.

DAN THE MAN

One of the most surprising aspects of Miami’s success this season is that the Dolphins have gone 9-2 relying more on their defense than on the arm of Dan Marino.

But Marino was in the spotlight Sunday in a 30-13 victory over Cleveland. He threw touchdown passes on Miami’s first two possessions and reached 30,000 career passing yards faster than anyone in NFL history.

Marino entered the game needing 146 yards to become the 11th NFL quarterback over 30,000. His 13-yard pass to Jim Jensen put him over the mark in his 114th game.

Former San Diego quarterback Dan Fouts had been the quickest to 30,000, doing it in 131 games.

Marino completed 16 of 29 passes for 245 yards, including first-quarter touchdown passes to Mark Duper and James Pruitt. Marino was most deadly on third down, completing 11 of 14 third-down passes for 182 yards.

NAMES AND NUMBERS

Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers threw two touchdown passes against the Rams to move into sixth place on the all-time NFL list with 240, one more than Len Dawson. . . . 49er Roger Craig became the first running back--and the 24th player--in NFL history to catch 500 passes. He had two receptions and has 501 in his career.

Ottis Anderson of the Giants, who entered Sunday’s game needing 62 yards to become the eighth rusher in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards, gained only nine in three carries against Philadelphia. . . . Randall Cunningham, who had two touchdown passes, has thrown for at least one touchdown in 10 consecutive games and two or more in eight of those.

New Orleans linebacker Rickey Jackson recovered his fifth fumble of the year and 15th of his career to tie him for first place on the team with former Saint safety Dave Waymer.

Cleveland rushed for 104 yards in its loss to Miami, the first time the Browns have rushed for 100 yards this season. Kevin Mack led the way with 13 carries for 79 yards. Miami’s defense has not allowed an individual 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver this season.

The Minnesota Vikings went 4-0 in November and are 16-6 in that month since Jerry Burns became coach in 1986. The Chicago Bears went 3-1 this month and are also 16-6 in November since 1986. Chicago is 27-9 in Coach Mike Ditka’s nine Novembers. . . . Steve Jordan caught two passes, moving past Ted Brown into third place on the Vikings’ all-time list with 340 receptions.

Cincinnati’s James Brooks rushed for 69 yards to become the Bengals’ career rushing leader with 5,440 yards. . . . The Bengals have not won consecutive games since Sept. 23, when they won their third in a row.

New York Jet Al Toon, who has caught passes in 74 consecutive games, had four receptions for 31 yards and brought his career total to 400. Only Kellen Winslow and Lionel Taylor got to 400 quicker.

MUST JOE GO?

The New York Jets fired Joe Walton last season as head coach. Walton then hooked on with the Pittsburgh Steelers as offensive coordinator.

Walton’s past and present got together at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday and the Steelers scored a 24-7 victory.

After some well-publicized problems in the first few games of the season, Walton’s offense has come around and the Steelers are 6-5 and tied for first place in the AFC Central. The Jets (4-8) managed only eight first downs and 173 yards in offense against the Steelers.

After 11 games, the Steelers have scored 198 points. After 12 games, the Jets have scored 199.

VIEW FROM BOTTOM

While most of the NFL was concentrating on whether the 49ers and Giants would be unbeaten heading into next week’s game, many missed the showdown in Tempe, Ariz., between the Phoenix Cardinals (2-8) and the New England Patriots (1-9).

Actually, a lot of people in Arizona missed it, too. Only 30,110 showed up in 72,608-seat Sun Devil Stadium to watch the struggling Cardinals beat the even more hapless Patriots, 34-14.

One good move for the Patriots, who have lost nine in a row, is that they gave rookie quarterback Tom Hodson his first start instead of going with Marc Wilson again. Hodson completed 17 of 29 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

IN QUOTES

Cleveland quarterback Bernie Kosar in a statement after the Browns lost to Miami, 30-13: “I really question what type of work ethic and dedication that we have to this organization and for the pride that we should have playing for the Cleveland Browns and playing professional football.”

Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham on the Eagles’ 31-13 victory over the previously unbeaten New York Giants: “We knew we could beat them. They knew we could beat them, we just didn’t know how.”

New York fullback Maurice Carthon: “You can’t win in the NFL throwing on every down. If Philadelphia wants to say they’ve regained the psychological advantage on us, let them say it.”

Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins after a 20-10 loss to Green Bay: “We are a very poor team. We didn’t play enough defense to beat the No. 1-rated high school team in Florida or Wisconsin.”

Chicago Coach Mike Ditka on 41-13 loss to Minnesota: “Once the truck hit me, I did not bother getting up. I just layed there and watched.”

Phoenix rookie Anthony Thompson, who stepped in and gained 136 yards when fellow rookie Johnny Johnson had an ankle injury: “Johnny has so much guts, he could play on a broken leg. But I feel a lot better about myself. I know I can do it. I just needed to get my feet dirty.”

HOT RIVALRY

When the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints play, a playoff berth is rarely on the line, but it is still an intense rivalry. Sunday’s game at the Superdome was played before a sellout crowd that included a large contingent from Atlanta. A message on the Superdome scoreboard early in the game read: “Uncle Dave, I’ve watched ‘Gone With The Wind’ three times just to see Atlanta burn.”

INJURIES

Rams: Special teams specialist Greg Clark (broken fibula). . . . Jets: Jeff Lageman (bruised arm), Johnny Hector (pinched nerve in neck), Darrell Davis (turf toe) and Joe Kelly (sprained knee). . . . Patriots: Stan Clayton (sprained knee and ankle), Bruce Armstrong (sprained lower back) and Richard Harvey (sprained ankle). . . . Cardinals: David Little (sprained knee), Tootie Robbins (sprained ankle) and Joe Wolf (sprained knee) and David Braxton (neck strain).

TONIGHT’S GAME

BUFFALO at HOUSTON

TV: Channel 7. Time: 6 p.m.

When Jim Kelly began his pro career with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers, Jack Pardee was more than just his first coach. He was one of the guys.

“He lets you do what you have to do,” Kelly recalled as his Bills (9-1) prepared to meet Pardee’s Houston Oilers. “He’s very well liked. He was almost like a football player as a head coach. I can only say great things about him. He’s a super guy.”

The Oilers (5-5) can move into a tie for the AFC Central lead if they can end Buffalo’s eight-game win streak.

While Warren Moon concentrates on passing to keep Houston’s run-and-shoot humming, Kelly directs a balanced attack that features the NFL’s leading rusher Thurman Thomas, who has 900 yards.

“We’re clicking right now on all cylinders,” Thomas said.

Last year, the Bills beat the Oilers, 47-41, in overtime.