PRO FOOTBALL / Week 14 : THE OTHER GAMES

GAME OF THE DAY New York (11-2) at Washington (11-2), 10 a.m. TV: Channels 2 and 8 (San Diego).

Only the Giants’ 27-20 victory over the Redskins six weeks ago at Giants Stadium separates these teams (under the NFL’s tiebreaking procedures) after 13 weeks, so the Giants can virtually clinch the NFC East title and home-field advantage for the playoffs with a victory. Joe Morris ran for 181 yards and the decisive touchdown in that game, but Washington’s Jay Schroeder passed for 420 yards. Gary Clark accounted for 241 of those yards in 11 receptions. New York hasn’t always been impressive while winning six straight games by a total of 22 points. However, the Giants showed they have the capability to come from behind last Monday night in San Francisco. Quarterback Phil Simms passed for 202 yards in the third quarter, when New York scored three touchdowns, to erase the 49ers’ 17-0 lead and bring the Giants a 21-17 victory. Until last week’s 20-17 victory over St. Louis, the Redskins had been playing well, winning five straight games since losing to the Giants. Washington is 7-0 at home this season.

OTHER NFC GAMES Tampa Bay (2-11) at Chicago (11-2), 10 a.m. The Bears are stumbling toward the playoffs without Jim McMahon, and critics credit a less-than-challenging schedule for their record. The Buccaneers, who have lost 49 of their last 61 games, are the patsy this week. Mike Tomczak passed for 265 yards in a 23-3 victory at Tampa Bay four weeks ago. Chicago Coach Mike Ditka has promised that Doug Flutie will play, too. The Bears have scored two touchdowns in three weeks but allowed only four in six games. Steve DeBerg has replaced Steve Young at quarterback for Tampa Bay.

Minnesota (7-6) at Green Bay (3-10), 10 a.m. The Packers are going nowhere but can send the Vikings in the same direction. Minnesota won their first encounter at the Metrodome, 42-7, when Tommy Kramer passed for six touchdowns, but Green Bay has won two of its last three games, losing only to Chicago, 12-10. Quarterback Randy Wright has shown improvement, throwing 8 touchdown passes in 4 games.

St. Louis (3-10) at Philadelphia (4-9), 10 a.m. The Eagles broke through against the Raiders, 33-27, in overtime after consecutive defeats to Seattle, Detroit, the New York Giants and St. Louis by four points or fewer. The Cardinals beat Kansas City, 23-14, and barely lost to Washington, 20-17, after reinstating Neil Lomax at quarterback following a two-week benching. Lomax has responded by completing 27 of 45 passes for 344 yards and 5 touchdowns.

AFC GAMES Cincinnati (8-5) at New England (10-3), 10 a.m. The Patriots have caught New York in the AFC East by winning seven straight games, the last three by a total of six points despite a series of injuries on defense. Linebackers Andre Tippett, who has had a bad knee, and Larry McGrew, who has had a groin injury, are expected to play today. Boomer Esiason and a Bengal offense that has scored more than 24 points in 10 of the last 11 games, will test the weakened New England defenders. New England expects wide receiver Irving Fryar (concussion) back if he can get to the stadium without any more problems. Perhaps they should send him a limousine.

Denver (10-3) at Kansas City (7-6), 10 a.m. The Broncos nearly have the AFC West title in hand with a two-game lead over the Raiders with three remaining. John Elway and the Denver offense ended a scoring slump during a 34-28 victory over Cincinnati last Sunday. The Broncos buried Kansas City, 38-17, three weeks ago, primarily with big plays by the defense. The Chiefs, still with an outside shot at a wild-card spot, are in the midst of their annual late-season disappearing act, having lost three straight games--the last two to St. Louis and Buffalo.

Cleveland (9-4) at Buffalo (4-9), 10 a.m. The Browns hold a one-game lead over Cincinnati in the AFC Central and have a showdown with the Bengals next Sunday at Cincinnati. Cleveland has taken the division lead by winning 5 of 6 games. A sidelight has Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly playing against his former University of Miami understudy, Bernie Kosar. The Bills, who last week beat Kansas City, 17-14, to end a 22-game road losing streak, haven’t won two straight since 1983.

Houston (3-10) at San Diego (3-10), 1 p.m. The Chargers are 2-3 since Al Saunders took over as coach but had a chance to win each game--narrowly losing to Kansas City, to Dallas and, in overtime, to the Raiders. The Chargers have outscored opponents, 105-87, under Saunders. San Diego has lost rookie defensive end Leslie O’Neal, who had 12 1/2 sacks, for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Houston will start a new backfield since Warren Moon has an injured thumb and Mike Rozier is out for the season with a knee injury. Oliver Luck will be at quarterback, Allen Pinkett at halfback and Ray Wallace at fullback.

INTERCONFERENCE GAMES N.Y. Jets (10-3) at San Francisco (7-5-1), 1 p.m. TV: Channels 4, 36 (Palm Springs), 39 (San Diego).

The Jets were rolling before losses to Miami, 45-3, and the Rams, 17-3, the past two weeks dropped them into a tie for the AFC East lead with New England. Nose tackle Joe Klecko, who has been out with a knee injury, may return against the 49ers. New York has averaged nearly 30 points a game on the road. The 49ers blew a 17-0 halftime lead in 21-17 loss to the Giants on Monday night, dropping San Francisco 1 1/2 games behind the Rams in the NFC West. The 49ers hope rookie cornerbacks Don Griffin and Tim McKyer can stay with Jet receivers Al Toon and Wesley Walker.

Miami (6-7) at New Orleans (6-7), 10 a.m. Consecutive losses to the Rams and New England virtually knocked the Saints out of the playoff picture. Three straight victories will give them the first winning season in franchise history. Miami’s Dan Marino passed for 1,510 yards and 16 touchdowns in November. New Orleans leads the league with 39 takeaways and has allowed 12 points a game at home.

Detroit (5-8) at Pittsburgh (4-9), 10 a.m. The Steelers have split their last six games after a 1-6 start, losing last week in overtime to Chicago, 13-10. Pittsburgh ranks last in the league in total offense, and wide receiver Louis Lipps, who suffered a concussion in the Bear game, is questionable. The Lions’ longshot playoff hopes vanished Thanksgiving Day in a last-minute, 44-40 defeat to Green Bay. The Lions have won just once since 1975 in the week following their annual Thanksgiving game.

Indianapolis (0-13) at Atlanta (6-6-1), 10 a.m. The Falcons returned to their early-season form by beating Miami, 20-14, last week, but it may be too late to get them into the playoffs. The Atlanta defense played well the last four weeks against Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Ken O’Brien and Tony Eason. Jack Trudeau and Gary Hogeboom, coming back from an injury, offer the Falcons a breather. The Colts can tie a franchise record for consecutive losses set in 1981 at Baltimore when they won their first and last games.