Sidelines

Kudos to the Panthers, who have been penalized for fewer yards than their opponents in 19 straight games. They have also averaged better starting field position than the opposition in 12 of their 15 games....

When Cardinals quarterback Boomer Esiason, 35, was benched last week in favor of Kent Graham, 28, he wondered aloud whether Graham or his agent had gone to management to force the issue. That chilled what had been an amicable relationship between the two players. "Honestly, I do have different feelings toward him now," said Graham alter leading Arizona to a 27-26 defeat of the Redskins. "That's all I want to say."

... Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith has just three runs of 20-plus yards this season in 327 carries; last year, when he led the league in rushing. 10 of Smith's 377 runs eclipsed 20 yards....

Tyrone Hughes of the Saints, who ranks fifth in the NFL in kickoff return average (25.5 yards), broke the dubious record for most returns in a season with his 67th against the Giants. The old record was set last year by—you guessed it—Hughes....

In each of their 15 games the falcons have allowed the opposing quarterback to exceed the efficiency rating he had before the opening kickoff. On Sunday, Rams rookie quarterback Tony Banks completed 11 of 16 passes for 304 yards and three TDs in a 34-27 defeat of Atlanta....

The Redskins led the NFL in red-zone touchdowns through their first 10 games, when they went 7-3. But in the last five they have converted just five of 19 chances inside the 20 for TDs and are 1-4....

Eagles running back Charlie Garner, who led the NFL in yards per carry in 1995 (5.4), has bettered that average in '96 (5.5). This season, however, Garner has 41 rushes fewer than the 100 necessary to qualify him among the league leaders....

In the 49ers' last two games quarterback Steve Young has rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries; his starting backfield males, William Floyd and Terry Kirby, have combined for 40 yards on 24 carries.