Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll plans to meet with unhappy quarterback Bubby Brister, who said, "I don't mop up for anybody" after refusing to play in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 31-6 loss to the Houston Oilers.
Brister, who hasn't played since Oct. 14, declined to warm up after starting quarterback Neil O'Donnell and offensive coordinator Joe Walton apparently argued on the sidelines with six minutes remaining.
Afterward, Brister said Walton only wanted him to play becaushe was angry with O'Donnell. "I'm no relief quarterback," he said. "It would have been pretty humiliating to go in right there. I'm not a rookie needing work.
"I think Neil and Joe just had a little argument and that's threason they wanted me to go in. . . . If Neil had been hurt, I'd have been glad to go in. If I'm in the game, I want it to be 0-0."
Meanwhile, running back Tim Worley, who hasn't played alseason due to a knee operation and drug suspension, may be activated for the Steelers' final two games.
Noll said yesterday that Worley will be evaluated this week anlikely will be ready for Sunday's game against Cincinnati.
* RAIDERS: Offensive guard Steve Wisniewski, who played in the Pro Bowl last year in his second professional season, could be sidelined for the rest of this season with a knee injury.
Wisniewski is the brother of Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts nose tackle Leo Wisniewski (1982-84), whose career was ended by a similar injury. Steve Wisniewski sustained a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the Raiders' 30-27 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. The injury will keep Wisniewski out of action for at least one week and might be season-ending.
* BILLS: Scott Norwood's latest struggles won't cost him his job as the team's kicker, coach Marv Levy said.
In an unprecedented show of support, Levy broke from his custom to give his kicker a vote of confidence and defend Norwood -- who missed three field goals and an extra point before kicking the game-winning field goal against the Raiders.
"Our policy . . . is that if and when we were to ever make a [personnel] change, we would announce it at that time," he said. "This one time -- in order to dispel any uncertainty -- we are not going to make a change with our kickers."
* EAGLES: Jim McMahon was in an intensive care unit Monday being treated for four damaged ribs, but the team was unwilling to say the quarterback won't play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
McMahon was injured in the second quarter of Sunday's 19-14 victory over the New York Giants. He underwent tests yesterday in Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia.
"The injury is a fracture-dislocation of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth ribs on his left side at the point where they are attached to the sternum," said a statement issued by Eagles spokesman Ron Howard.
"The extent of the injury is not evident in X-rays that were taken but did show up in a CAT scan."
"He will remain in the hospital today [Monday] and most likely tomorrow [Tuesday] for further evaluation and observation," the
statement said. "At this point no prognosis has been made on how much time he will miss. There is no timetable on when that prognosis will be made."