SPOTLIGHT / A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK IN THE NFL : SPOKEN FOR

On the occasion of becoming the second-leading receiver in NFL history, Art Monk let his accomplishments and colleagues speak for him.

Both spoke volumes.

The 13-year veteran passed Charlie Joiner with a first-quarter touchdown catch and finished with seven receptions for the day, 756 for his career. Next--and last--on his list to conquer is Steve Largent, who had 819 catches with the Seattle Seahawks.

But Monk isn’t looking that far ahead. Nor was he looking back on his accomplishments after Washington improved its record to 7-0 with a 42-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Monk accepted the congratulations of his teammates on the field, then made a quick exit from the locker room without comment. No one interpreted the no-show as a snub. Monk is not a man for the limelight, even when the limelight is his.

“I’m not much on being the center of attention and that sort of thing,” Monk said earlier in the week. “I can live without it.”

He can live without it, in part, because there is no shortage of sources who can attest to his achievements.

“I think he’s one of the great receivers ever to play the game,” Browns Coach Bill Belichick said. “I wish the damn guy would retire, and I told him that in the preseason. The sooner, the better for me.”

His teammates don’t expect it will be sooner. Monk says he’s not as fast as he was, but nobody else has noticed him slowing down.

“I don’t think he’ll be satisfied until he makes a thousand catches,” Redskin tackle Jim Lachey said. “I think Art can play 17 years.”

That should give him plenty of time to get around to talking about it.

COWBOYS AND INDIANS

The Redskins are off to their best start since 1940, and their chief rival in the East isn’t far behind.

The Dallas Cowboys--yes, those same Cowboys who were 7-9 last season--improved to 5-2 with a 35-23 victory over Cincinnati.

“We played good, but we can play better,” Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman said. “Still, after training camp I think everyone would be happy to say we were 5-2 with an off week coming.”

Dallas’ 5-2 start is the best since Tom Landry was the coach in 1986.

“I’m happy where we are,” Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said. “If we had made another play or two in the Washington game, we could be 6-1. Realistically, we are better at this stage than I believe many thought we would be.”

Realistically, he’s right.

IT’S ABOUT TIME

It took the Rams’ Jim Everett, whose 83 touchdown passes over the past three seasons were the most of any NFL quarterback, seven weeks to throw his first of the season. As a public service, we present things that can or have been done in less time.

--From the time of conception a rabbit (31 days), kangaroo (42 days) or squirrel (44 days) can give birth.

--The United States can send a crew of three men to the moon. The astronauts can walk around for a while and come back. (Apollo 11 lasted eight days.)

--The length of time William Henry Harrison, the nation’s ninth president, spent in office. (31 days)

--As long ago as 1938 the Queen Mary could cross the Atlantic Ocean at least 10 times. (Average trip is four days.)

--You could drive 5,709 miles across rugged terrain in the Paris to Dakar Rally. (19 days)

--The United States and coalition forces could liberate Kuwait. (Five weeks).

NAMES AND NUMBERS

The New Orleans Saints, off to the best start in club history, have not allowed an offensive touchdown in 16 quarters. . . . New Orleans placekicker Morten Andersen wears a special Korean-made shoe that reportedly cost $5,447. He’s 11 for 12 with the shoe this year, and 19 of Andersen’s 32 kickoffs have not been returned.

Drew Hill, with six catches for 80 yards, became the Houston Oilers’ all-time leading receiver with 411. Hill’s record-setting catch was a 37-yarder for a touchdown. He passed Charlie Hennigan. . . . Warren Moon completed a career-high 35 passes. . . . Al Toon, with six catches for 51 yards, moved into second place on the Jets’ all-time receiving list with 440. Don Maynard is the leader with 627.

With 41 total yards, Darrin Nelson moved past Chuck Foreman into second place on Minnesota’s list of career total yardage leaders. Nelson has 8,997 yards, 240 fewer than leader Bill Brown.

Miami’s Dan Marino, who passed for 216 yards in the Dolphins’ 42-7 loss to Kansas City, moved past Ken Anderson (32,838) into seventh on the all-time passing yardage list. Marino has passed for 32,998 yards in 10 seasons. . . . Cleveland’s Bernie Kosar is the only quarterback who has not thrown an interception this season.

Kansas City’s Chris Martin returned a fumble 100 yards, the second-

longest return in history. The Raiders’ Jack Tatum had a 104-yard return against Green Bay in 1972. . . . Chief quarterback Steve DeBerg was nine of 12 for 177 yards, passing John Brodie and taking over eighth place on the all-time list with 2,478 completions.

Buffalo has won 16 consecutive games in which Thurman Thomas has rushed for 100 yards. . . . Thomas became the third Bill, joining O.J. Simpson and Joe Cribbs, to gain over 4,000 yards rushing. His 117 yards against the Jets give him 4,095. . . . Houston’s William Fuller was credited with half a sack against the Jets, which is money in the bank for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Fuller, who had six sacks going into the game, is donating $500 per sack in honor of his father, who is a

diabetic.

SECOND FIDDLES

Football took a back seat to baseball for the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.

On the day the Twins advanced to the World Series with a victory at Toronto, there were were 10,461 no-shows back at the Metrodome for the Vikings’ 34-7 victory over Phoenix. The 51,209 who did attend combined for the smallest crowd to see a Vikings game at the Metrodome since 1987. The game was a sellout only because local businesses bought enough tickets to get the game televised locally.

The Falcons got run out of town by the Braves, who occupied Atlanta-

Fulton County Stadium for Game 4 of the National League playoffs. The Falcons won at San Francisco, 39-34.

A FAMILY MATTER

For mothers who don’t want their babies to grow up to be football players, the Buffalo-Indianapolis game qualified as a nightmare.

Gary Baldinger, a nose tackle for the Bills, faced off against his oldest brother, Brian, the center for the Colts. The two played against each other last season, but Brian played tackle. “We never actually hit each other,” Gary said of that meeting.

This time, they went head-to-head. But their version of trench warfare lacked a standard NFL ingredient. “I can’t insult his family because his family is my family,” Gary said.

A third Baldinger, Rich, is a defensive tackle for Kansas City. Gary and Brian will meet again Dec. 9 at Indianapolis.

IN QUOTES

Cincinnati Coach Sam Wyche on Dallas’ Troy Aikman: “Barring injury, Troy Aikman is on the verge of being one of the great quarterbacks in the game. He’ll be selling Pepsi for a long time.”

Houston receiver Haywood Jeffires, who had 13 catches for 186 yards: “It makes no difference what they do, I was getting open and making plays.”

Defensive back Mike Brim after the Jets were burned for 423 passing yards by Houston’s Warren Moon: “Moon being Moon, he will make big plays. I think it’s all Moon. You could put any four receivers with legitimate hands with him and he will do it.”

Ram quarterback Jim Everett, after throwing his first touchdown pass of the season, made light of another Los Angeles star who has yet to score: “That monkey’s off my back--and Wayne Gretzky, we’ll wait for your first goal, too.”

Buffalo reserve quarterback Frank Reich on starter Jim Kelly, who was sidelined with a mild concussion in the second quarter against Indianapolis: “When I told him one of our most basic running plays and he said, ‘What’s that?’ I kind of knew he was out of it.”

Dallas rookie Ricky Blake, whose first NFL carry was a 30-yard touchdown against the Jets: “I was surprised I was out there all by myself. I hope my mother was watching on TV.”

MAN OF INFLUENCE

Hammer, the Oakland-based recording artist who was a visitor to the Atlanta clubhouse before the Falcons’ 39-34 victory at San Francisco, was a hit with Deion Sanders.

The Falcon cornerback returned a kickoff 100 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, high-stepping the last 40 yards in a tribute to Hammer.

“I had that feeling I was going all the way,” Sanders said. “I wanted to dance because Hammer was here.”

Hammer returned to the clubhouse after the game, treating the Falcons to a sneak preview of his upcoming album.