Erric Pegram

Atlanta Falcon guard Chris Hinton gives the warning to tailback Erric Pegram before every offensive series. One more pirouette and you're out of here. Caught in a holding pattern as a third-string back, Pegram developed a nasty habit of cutting back and circling on carries, instead of running straight ahead. Or, as Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville calls it: "Pirouetting."

Atlanta Falcon guard Chris Hinton gives the warning to tailback Erric Pegram before every offensive series. One more pirouette and you're out of here. Caught in a holding pattern as a third-string back, Pegram developed a nasty habit of cutting back and circling on carries, instead of running straight ahead. Or, as Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville calls it: "Pirouetting."

Pittsburgh's running game will come at Dallas in contrasting forms. Erric Pegram, the starting tailback, is a quick, slashing runner. Bam Morris, who began the season as the starter, lives up to his name with a running style based much on brute force. ERRIC PEGRAM and BAM MORRIS Carries Pegram: 213 Morris: 148 * Yards Pegram: 813 Morris: 559 * Average Pegram: 3.8 Morris: 3.

Irv Eatman, 33, an unrestricted free agent from the Rams, signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons, who also re-signed running back Erric Pegram. Eatman agreed to a two-year deal for $1.2 million. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound Eatman has played eight seasons in the NFL--five with the Kansas City Chiefs, two with the New York Jets and one with the Rams. The former UCLA star played three seasons with the Philadelphia-Baltimore Stars in the USFL.

Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly had no comment on his brief tussle with Pittsburgh defensive lineman Ray Seals. Seals had sacked Kelly then had taunted him while making like a gunfighter and shooting Kelly down. Kelly shoved Seals and Seals went after Kelly just as Buffalo center Kent Hull arrived to save Kelly. The Steelers called Seals to the sideline and Coach Bill Cowher and Seals then exchanged heated words. "I just wanted him to know I had done nothing wrong," Seals said of Cowher.

A strained groin could keep Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis out of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. Bettis, who ran for 1,431 yards despite sitting out most of the Steelers' final two regular-season games, did not practice Wednesday and also is expected to sit out today's workout. "It's a painful injury," said Bettis, who grimaced Wednesday while pulling on a pair of sweatpants. "If you can run, OK, but if you can't run, you can't do anything. It's going to be rough . . ."

As the Pittsburgh Steelers went through their final full practice before Sunday's playoff game at New England, the main component of their offense was merely a spectator. Jerome Bettis, who has rushed for 1,431 yards, could only watch Friday because of a sore groin. Bettis estimates he has a 50-50 chance of playing, and the Steelers list him as questionable on their injury report. He also has a sprained ankle, but he said the groin--not the ankle--is the problem.

Rich Kotite stepped down as coach of the New York Jets on Friday but will coach the team's final game Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins. "When you're 3-13 and 1-14, that just doesn't cut it," Kotite said. "If you take emotion out of this, and I did, it's clear that the head coach should step down." He said his departure was by mutual agreement with Leon Hess, the team's owner, and Steve Gutman, its president. Kotite gave a contradictory statement in announcing he was leaving.

TOP PERFORMANCES PASSING *--* Player, Team Att. Cmp. Yds. TD DAN MARINO, Dolphins 48 33 450 2 CHRIS MILLER, Rams 45 26 326 2 DAVE KRIEG, Cardinals 41 25 308 0 JEFF GEORGE, Falcons 38 26 295 1 S. HUMPHRIES, Chargers 40 22 257 1 SCOTT ZOLAK, Patriots 45 24 252 1 KERRY COLLINS, Panthers 32 18 233 1 WADE WILSON, Cowboys 29 21 224 1 RICK MIRER, Seahawks 24 16 222 0 DAVE BROWN, Giants 43 22 218 0 JEFF BLAKE, Bengals 34 18 201 3 *--* RECEIVING *--* Player, Team Rec. Yds.

Eric Dickerson, the NFL's second-leading career rusher, was waived by the winless Atlanta Falcons. "I can't say I'm shocked," said Dickerson, who had confronted head coach Jerry Glanville recently about losing his starting job to third-year veteran Erric Pegram. "They told me I could announce my retirement if I wanted . . . but basically that Jerry wanted to go with younger people."

Coach Jerry Glanville knew the Atlanta Falcons' longshot playoff chances would come down to containing Cincinnati quarterback David Klingler. They couldn't do it. Klingler completed a career-high three touchdown passes, the last one with a minute to play, to give Cincinnati a 21-17 victory Sunday that eliminated the Falcons. Klingler's six-yard pass to Carl Pickens handed the Falcons (6-9) their second consecutive road loss to a struggling team.