VIKES' BIG ERROR ONE OF SEVERAL FATAL FLINGS.

Byline: BILLY WITZ

Somewhere today in the ether Woody Hayes must be grabbing a face mask, staring at a pair of trembling eyes and screaming, ``See that? See what happens?''

As Hayes, or any other football coach who believes in the sanctity of three yards and a cloud of dust, could tell you: There are three things that can happen when you throw the football - and two of them are bad.

Well, it seems that Hayes, true to his nature, was conservative there, too.

In the NFL on Sunday we learned that when you throw the ball, there are worse things than throwing an interception or incomplete pass.

If you're Randy Moss, a receiver, for goodness' sake, you learned that it's possible to throw the season away - which the Vikings might have done when offensive coordinator Scott Linehan called for a reverse pass at Seattle's 20-yard line.

Moss' floater was picked off by the Michael Boulware, one of two Seahawks who were not fooled into leaving Minnesota receiver Marcus Robinson, and Seattle escaped with a 27-23 victory.

The loss was Minnesota's fifth in seven games and puts it a game behind Green Bay in the NFC North and on shaky playoff ground - all of this conjuring up memories of last season's collapse.

``I wish I could have it back,'' Linehan said of the week's most regrettable pass not made by Karl Malone.

Others had remorse, too. Denver quarterback Jake Plummer threw two interceptions against Miami, but it was a middle digit he threw up that had him apologizing afterward.

Plummer shrugged off criticism earlier in the week by teammate-turned- broadcaster Shannon Sharpe, but when a fan heckled him after a first- quarter interception, the quarterback couldn't tune him out. TV cameras showed Plummer putting his middle finger behind his head while he sat on the bench.

It must have been a doubly tough day for Denver fans. Here they were sweating out a 20-17 win at home over the hapless Dolphins, secured only by Jason Elam's late 50-yard field goal.

Meanwhile, they're desperately rooting for Tampa Bay to knock off the Chargers, two games up in the AFC West.

Former Broncos quarterback Brian Griese is shredding the San Diego defense, on his way to a Sunday-best 392 yards and three touchdowns. Just as Denver fans are wondering why their team ever dumped Griese, he reminds them.

Having rallied the Bucs to tie the score for the third time, this time at 21, Griese throws a short pass over the middle. Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards steps in front, grabs it and runs 30 yards for a touchdown.

``This one hurts,'' said Griese, speaking not only for Denver but for Tampa Bay. The loss dropped the Bucs to 5-8 and into a last-place tie in the NFC South, but, this being the NFC, they are still in the thick of the playoff race.

One of the teams the Bucs and others are chasing is St. Louis, which lost to Carolina 20-7 - thanks to six interceptions by Chris Chandler.

``There were so many, I forget all of them,'' said Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan, who made two interceptions but perhaps was still foggy after missing three weeks with a concussion.

Next up to have his head examined is a familiar patient, Mike Martz. The last time the Rams coach was calling plays against Carolina, he didn't trust Marc Bulger to avoid an interception in the playoffs. The Rams settled for a field goal, sent the game into overtime and lost.

True, the Rams were without injured tailbacks Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson on Sunday, but where was this keep-winging-it play calling last January? And why put so much weight (and faith) on a 39-year-old arm?

In one afternoon, Chandler threw as many interceptions as Chargers quarterback Drew Brees has all season.

Not that it was all that wonderful a day for Brees either. He put a slight crimp in an otherwise fine afternoon by throwing two interceptions, including his first in the red zone all season.

It came on a flea-flicker when he took a pitch from La Dainian Tomlinson, then underthrew a ball that Ronde Barber intercepted.

It just goes to show that throwing a football isn't as easy as playing pitch and catch. Not that this is news in Detroit and New York.

The Lions' Joey Harrington continued to look like Joey Heatherton, going 5 for 22 for 47 yards in a loss to Green Bay. The Giants' Eli Manning, who was 4 for 18 for 27 yards with two interceptions and a zero quarterback rating, should be getting those thank-you notes from the Chargers any day.

It also makes the Vikings' decision all the more baffling.

All of which brings us to Jerome Bettis, the Steelers' barrel-chested tailback with a nose for the end zone and, apparently, an arm to match.

He lofted a pass into the end zone Sunday that was caught by a teammate, tight end Jerame Tuman, snapping a fourth-quarter tie and sending Pittsburgh to a division-clinching 17-6 win over the Jets.

Which presents Sunday's lesson: Throw only when you must, and when you have to go to the air, it's best to take The Bus.