Spotlight : A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL

TOP PERFORMANCES

Passing

Quarterback, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD DAN MARINO, Dolphins 47 28 339 3 CHRIS MILLER, Falcons 66 37 334 2 STEVE GROGAN, Patriots 46 25 313 1 BILLY JOE TOLLIVER, Chargers 48 22 305 0 JOHN FOURCADE, Saints 28 21 291 2 STEVE BEUERLEIN, Raiders 34 16 266 2 JOE FERGUSON, Buccaneers 41 21 244 2 STEVE DeBERG, Chiefs 26 17 230 1 DON MAJKOWSKI, Packers 32 21 232 2 GARY HOGEBOOM, Cardinals 28 12 212 2

Rushing

Player, Team Car. Yds. TD GREG BELL, Rams 26 210 1 BARRY SANDERS, Lions 20 158 3 CHRISTIAN OKOYE, Chiefs 26 98 1

Receiving

Player, Team No. Yds. TD HART LEE DYKES, Patriots 8 108 0 RICHARD JOHNSON, Lions 7 135 1 MARK DUPER, Dolphins 7 85 0 JIM JENSEN, Dolphins 7 65 1 KEITH JONES, Falcons 7 38 0 MERVYN FERNANDEZ, Raiders 6 125 1 MARK CLAYTON, Dolphins 6 102 1 IRVING FRYAR, Patriots 6 99 1 DARRIN NELSON, Chargers 6 92 0 PERRY KEMP, Packers 6 85 0 GENE LANG, Falcons 6 73 1 MICHAEL HAYNES, Falcons 6 62 0 SHAWN COLLINS, Falcons 6 58 0 RON HELLER, Falcons 6 53 0

IN QUOTES

Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson after Cowboys lost to Green Bay, 20-10, to finish 1-15: “Well, it’s behind us. The Cowboys will have better days in the future.�

Chicago Coach Mike Ditka after his team’s 26-0 loss to San Francisco to finish 6-10: “Somewhere along the line we lost our confidence. I don’t really believe we’re that bad a football team, although I guess you have to believe that after today.�

Pittsburgh Coach Chuck Noll, whose team is still alive to make the playoffs for the first time in five years: “It’s been an uphill battle for us all year. At the end of the year, you can always look back and wish for a better record, but I’m happy with how these guys finished.�

Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins, whose team finished 5-11 for its seventh consecutive losing season: “If someone asked me to sum up the season, I would say the brightest part was seeing this team develop an attitude of not giving up and never saying die for 60 minutes.�

Indianapolis Coach Ron Meyer, whose team (8-8) missed making the playoffs by losing to New Orleans, 41-6: “Thank heavens we were in a position to be there. There were a lot of football teams, like the Saints, playing on sheer pride.�

New Orleans Saint quarterback John Fourcade, who improvised with a shovel pass to fullback Craig Heyward after being chased from the pocket by the Colts: “I used to be on a flag football team, and we had that play. Craig wasn’t on that team, but he sure picked it up in a hurry.�

Detroit Lions’ rookie Barry Sanders, who shattered two club records previously held by Billy Sims when he ended the season with 1,470 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns: “I know a few people wanted me to get the rookie Lions’ rushing record . But I don’t think you can just pinpoint my game because the guys up front created some awesome holes.�

Atlanta offensive tackle Bill Fralic, whose team clinched the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft with its seventh straight loss to Detroit: “I’ve got an empty feeling right now . This season was a definite disappointment. I can’t think of a worse one that I’ve been through.�

Kansas City’s Christian Okoye, who finished the season with 1,480 yards in 370 carries to all but clinch his first NFL rushing title: “It’s a pretty big goal for me to lead the league in rushing . To look at it and say I did it, thank God.�

Philadelphia’s Anthony Toney, who carried 17 times for 82 yards and caught five passes for another 48 yards to help lead the Eagles into the playoffs: “I probably get more satisfaction out of running the ball. Most of the time I’m staying in the backfield helping the linemen with the blocking. The guys were saying, ‘Give the ball to Toney.’ That made me feel good and it gave the offensive line a lot more confidence.�

RETIREMENT PARTY BENEFITS HOMELESS

Steve Largent spent the first day of the rest of his life having a great time with his four children.

“My mom always asked when I’d get a real job, and I think that time has come,� Largent said Sunday, a day after he stepped into retirement following his last game for the Seattle Seahawks.

“My goal now is to be a great dad, more than being a great receiver or football player. That’s what I’ve always prayed about and that will be the measure I’ll hold to my own life.�

The laughter of youngsters in the Largent home was evidence that he was off to a great start.

In one respect, being home for the holidays was not new.

“This Christmas really won’t feel that much different from any year that the Seahawks didn’t make the playoffs, “ Largent said. “I don’t think things will feel different until it’s time to get ready for practice in the spring or reporting in the summer. By then, I’m sure it will sink in that I won’t be part of it.�

Some 7,000 fans showed up at a party to say goodby to Largent Saturday night.

“I wish I was as neat as you all think I am but I’m not,� Largent told the capacity crowd at the Washington State Convention Center.

Seattle’s homeless will benefit from the $70,000 the party produced, including $5,500 given by Largent’s teammates.

“I’m overwhelmed by all of this,� Largent said.

Largent, the record-setting wide receiver of the Seahawks, went out in a losing game, a 29-0 beating from the Washington Redskins in the Kingdome Saturday.

But to those at the party, and those who paid tribute to him in messages, he was anything but a loser.

“You are one of those people who really have made a difference,� President Bush told Largent by videotape. “I offer my heartfelt thanks not only from the community of Seattle but from this president.�

“Several times when I’ve watched you, I wanted to shout, ‘Win one for the Gipper,’ � former President Reagan said in another videotaped message. “You are truly a role model for the rest of us.�

Largent, 35, never went to a Super Bowl but he became the favorite player of Seahawks fans, who admired him for his overachievements on the field and his humble demeanor off it.

The Raiders’ Mike Haynes sent Largent a telegram.

“For a guy too slow and too short, you sure fooled a lot of people,� Haynes wrote.

That was the book on Largent--too slow, too small and too short.

Nonetheless, he became the NFL’s record holder for receptions (819), reception yardage (13,089), touchdown catches (100) and consecutive game catches (177).

Largent did go to the playoffs four times in the seven-year Coach Chuck Knox era in Seattle. In the 1983 season, the Seahawks went to the AFC championship and they won the AFC West for the first time last season.

No. 80 of the Seahawks was acquired from then-Houston head Coach Bum Phillips for an eighth-round draft choice before the team’s first season in 1976. They made the trade at the urging of then-assistant coach Jerry Rhome, who coached Largent in college at Tulsa.

Although the Redskins won big Saturday, Largent didn’t feel like a loser.

“I don’t want anybody feeling bad for me because of the way we played,� Largent said.

The Seahawks played horrendously against the Redskins.

They finished Largent’s last season with a 7-9 record, the first losing record in Knox’s seven years in Seattle. It was not the final send-off Seahawks fans envisioned for their hero.

“He deserved better,� Seahawks strong safety Nesby Glasgow said.

Largent finished his final NFL day with two receptions for 41 yards, giving him 28 catches for 403 yards and three touchdowns in his last season. But he missed six games because of a broken bone in his right elbow suffered in Seattle’s season opener in Philadelphia in September.

He earned $1.35 million this year, the highest salary ever paid a Seahawks player and the highest salary ever paid an NFL wide receiver.

Largent said his retirement hadn’t really hit him yet.

“It’s just the end of another season,� he said. “It may even take until next May or next September when I’m not putting on a football uniform to realize my career is over.�

Eligible to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in five years, Largent will be especially missed by Knox.

“Steve Largent is one of the all-time great receivers ever to play the game,� Knox said. “He’ll be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first year he’s eligible.�

With Largent’s retirement, Washington’s Art Monk becomes the reception leader among active players with 662 catches. Monk, 33, met Largent on the field after Saturday’s game.

“He (Monk) just said, ‘Congratulations, you had a great career,�’ Largent said.

Largent hasn’t said what he plans in the future, although he will serve as a TV commentator at the 1990 Goodwill Games next summer in Seattle.

BIG PLAYS

Greg Bell, who rushed for 210 yards, scored on a three-yard run with 1:55 left in the Rams’ 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots.

Nick Lowery kicked a 41-yard field goal with 1:31 left to give Kansas City a 27-24 victory over Miami.

Chris Bahr kicked a 45-yard field goal as time expired to give San Diego a 19-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.

LOWLIGHTS

An Atlanta record-low crowd of 7,792 showed up for the Falcon game with the Detroit Lions on a sunny day with the temperature in the mid-20s. There were 28,542 tickets sold with 20,750 no-shows. The previous low was 8,684 on Oct. 11, 1987, during the strike season and 10,020 on Dec. 15, 1974, in a non-strike season.

MILESTONES

San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana returned from a one-week layoff because of sore ribs and completed 10 of 21 passes for 106 yards and an interception, setting an NFL season record for highest quarterback rating.

Montana finished the season with a quarterback rating of 112.4, surpassing Milt Plum’s record of 110.4 with the Cleveland Browns in 1960.

Montana, sacked twice, came into the 49ers’ game against Chicago on pace to set the NFL mark for highest completion percentage for a season. But three dropped first-half passes and the interception dropped him just behind Ken Anderson, who connected on 70.5 percentage of his throws for Cincinnati in 1982 to Montana’s 70.2 percent this year.

Richard Dent of Chicago recorded a first-quarter sack of Montana to become the Bears’ all-time sack leader with 82. Dent is a veteran of seven NFL seasons. Jim Osborne, who played from 1972-84, held the previous mark of 81 sacks.

Mike Cofer of San Francisco broke his own team record for field goals in a season by converting four attempts against Chicago, giving him 29 this season. Cofer captured the NFL scoring crown with 135 points.

Kansas City’s Nick Lowery, who kicked a 41-yard field goal with 1:31 left to give the Chiefs a 27-24 victory over Miami, scored nine points to finish with 106. He has seven 100-point seasons, tying the NFL record set by former Kansas City kicker Jan Stenerud.

Randall Cunningham of the Philadelphia Eagles rushed for 41 yards against Phoenix to become the first quarterback in the modern era to lead his team in rushing three consecutive seasons. Cunningham rushed for 641 yards this season.

Barry Sanders capped a sensational rookie season by establishing two more team records in the Detroit Lions’ 31-24 victory over Atlanta.

Sanders, who set the team’s rookie rushing record last week, added 158 yards and three touchdowns to his totals. His 1,470 rushing yards broke the team mark of 1,437 set by Billy Sims in 1981. Sanders’ touchdown runs of 17, 18 and 25 yards gave him 14 rushing touchdowns this season, breaking the record of 13 set by Sims in 1980 and 1981.

TONIGHT’S GAME

Cincinnati at Minnesota, 6 p.m.--Throw away the schedules that say the NFL playoffs begin next week.

They actually start with this game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

After the Cincinnati Bengals meet the Minnesota Vikings in the league’s final regular-season game, one team will be done for the year while the other lives to play another day.

“This is not a ‘playoff-type’ game,� Viking Coach Jerry Burns said. “This is a playoff game.�

Because the Green Bay Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Vikings must defeat Cincinnati to win the NFC Central. Minnesota (9-6) cannot be a wild-card playoff team. And because the Bengals (8-7) received much outside help during the weekend, a win Monday would give them an AFC wild-card berth.

ABC-TV couldn’t have asked for a better Monday Night Football finale: Two evenly-matched 1988 playoff teams desperate for victory.

Bengal quarterback Boomer Esiason looks at the Vikings and sees his own team.

“Our season has been much like the Vikings’ (season),� he said. “Both teams came in with great expectations and both teams are fighting for their lives to make the playoffs.

“There are a lot of great players on both teams. Each team has been inept at times. The frustrations that the Vikings are feeling are probably some of the same frustrations we are.

“I think if you look at the rosters of both teams, you’re saying to yourself, ‘How can these teams have six or seven losses?’ It’s just unbelievable, unheard of.�

While Esiason leads the AFC in passing for the second straight year, Minnesota’s Wade Wilson has been disappointing.

In his first full season as starter last year, Wilson led the NFC in passing and was rewarded with a four-year, $4.35-million contract. But he has battled injury and ineffectiveness all 1989 and only Dallas quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh rank lower this season.

“With all the expectations on us and me personally, things that we wanted to happen weren’t happening. It’s been real frustrating,� said Wilson, who has thrown 12 interceptions and just seven touchdown passes. “I had a good first game but threw four interceptions against the Bears the next week . . . and it’s been an uphill battle ever since.�

Esiason knows that winning at the Metrodome--where the Vikings have won 12 straight and 15 of 16--will be a special challenge.

“I remember watching when the Twinkies (Minnesota Twins) were in the World Series, how noisy the Dome was. I got chills watching it on TV,� he said. “As a quarterback, you have to learn to deal with it.�