Bills' Conlan May Miss Playoff Game

It looks more and more as if the Buffalo Bills will be without Pro Bowl inside linebacker Shane Conlan for Sunday's AFC playoff game with the Houston Oilers.

The former Penn State star, who has missed most of the last four games with an injury to the arch of his left foot, was sent to the Birmingham Sports Clinic in Alabama on Tuesday night and was examined yesterday.

Neither coach Marv Levy nor team physician Richard Weiss had received a report on Conlan by late yesterday afternoon, and Conlan was still listed as questionable for the Bills' first playoff game since 1981.

Asked about Conlan's status for Sunday's game, Levy said, "We're not counting on him; we're not counting him out."

Conlan injured the foot Nov. 20 against the New York Jets in a game the Bills won to claim the AFC East title. He tried playing in the Bills' next-to-last game of the season against the Los Angeles Raiders, but lasted less than two quarters.

Despite the lost time, Conlan was the team's third-leading tackler and was voted a Pro Bowl starter in balloting among NFL players earlier this month.

BROWNS

Cleveland began its search for a successor to coach Marty Schottenheimer, with Tom Flores, Howard Schnellenberger and Dan Henning said to be candidates.

Schottenheimer resigned Tuesday after owner Art Modell presented him with a program that included the hiring of an offensive coordinator and other staff changes. Schottenheimer ran the offense this year and was criticized for conservative play-calling.