PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : Bills May Go Without Smith; Faulk Out of Chief Game

Buffalo Bill defensive end Bruce Smith, who has flu and did not accompany the team to Pittsburgh, will probably miss today’s playoff game (9:30 a.m., Channel 4) against the Steelers, the team said.

Smith, voted to the Pro-Bowl for the eighth time this year, was running a temperature of 103 degrees. He was listed as doubtful, and Bill General Manager John Butler said it was “highly unlikely” he would play. Buffalo did arrange for a plane to stand by in case Smith felt better this morning.

An 11-year veteran, Smith had 10 1/2 sacks this year and anchored the vastly improved Buffalo defense with NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bryce Paup.

Meanwhile, both Buffalo and Pittsburgh share a sense of urgency about today’s game.

The supposedly over-the-hill Bills seemed ready for dismantling when they followed their four-year Super Bowl reign of ruin by going 7-9 last season. But they went 10-6 and won the AFC East this season before eliminating AFC preseason favorite Miami, 37-22, last week. Still, however, it could be the last hurrah for this collection of Bills.

Pittsburgh’s need for postseason gratification is no less pressing. The Steelers are only 1-3 in the playoffs under Coach Bill Cowher, and they have lived for nearly a year with the distressing memory of narrowly missing the Super Bowl on Neil O’Donnell’s fourth-and-three incompletion near San Diego’s goal line in the AFC championship game.

The forecast for today’s game at Three Rivers Stadium is a Buffalo-like cloudy and cold, temperatures in the low 20s and winds in the 5- to 10-mph range. But no snow is predicted.

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The Indianapolis Colts’ underdog hopes of reaching the Super Bowl were dealt another setback when surgery sidelined Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk for Sunday’s AFC playoff game at Kansas City.

Faulk, who has played very little since injuring his left knee against Jacksonville on Dec. 10, had arthroscopic surgery Friday to remove loose cartilage.

Faulk’s status was uncertain for additional games should the Colts advance.

Lamont Warren, who performed well in place of Faulk in the regular-season finale against New England on Dec. 23, will start against the Chiefs.

Rookie Zack Crockett took over the rushing load for Faulk last weekend. Starting in place of injured fullback Roosevelt Potts, Crockett set a franchise record with 147 yards rushing and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 35-20 playoff victory over San Diego.

Meanwhile, another key Colt also did not practice Friday. Defensive lineman and team emotional leader Tony Siragusa missed a second day of workouts while sick from flu.