Linebacker Takeo Spikes used to hear cheers from those same fans.

But Sunday?

"I still think they love me a little bit," said Spikes, a two-time Pro Bowler during his four seasons with the Bills. "But a few boos would be OK, too. I'm just ready to play and let it go. I've been looking forward to this one ever since the day I signed with San Fran. That should give you an indication of how much I've been looking forward to this."

Both Spikes and 49ers cornerback Nate Clements, a 2001 Buffalo first-round draft pick, were popular players in a city where the Bills are treated like royalty. But while Clements said Friday that he wasn't sure what it would be like playing again in Buffalo, Spikes was smiling in anticipation.

"I'm ready to roll," Spikes said. "I can't wait to let it roll."

Punt return quandary

With Allen Rossum (ankle) out, Clements has been getting most of the punt-return work in practice this week.

"So I plan on being back there returning," he said. "I'm excited to do it. It's another opportunity to make a play."

That said, 49ers coach Mike Singletary still wasn't ready to fully commit to having Clements return punts mostly because he doesn't want to risk his top cornerback getting hurt.

Singletary listed wide receiver Bryant Johnson and backup running back DeShaun Foster as other possibilities, but he didn't sound excited about those options, either.

"It's one of those things that we really don't want to have to do," Singletary said of using Clements. "But right now, we'll just wait and see."

Injury update

Wide receiver Jason Hill (groin) and cornerback Walt Harris (hamstring) were limited in practice again Friday, but Singletary seemed fairly certain that both would be able to play Sunday.

If Harris were not able to go, Singletary said, Tarell Brown would take his place.

"He would be just fine," Singletary said of the 5-foot-10 Brown. "He's feisty. He's a competitor. Guys tease him all the time about not being the biggest guy. But he likes to say that pound for pound, he's the best. He's got a lot of fight in him."

It's cold outside

When people are looking for a way to describe Buffalo, here's an expression that often comes to mind: br-r-r-r-r.

The game-time forecast is for weather typical of late November in western New York: temperatures in the 30s with a chance of snow showers.

Singletary, a former star linebacker for the Chicago Bears, knows better than most about playing in cold conditions. But he didn't necessarily agree that bad weather is an advantage for the home team when they host visitors from warmer regions.

"Weather can be a factor only if you let it be," he said. "It's a psychological thing. If you think it's an advantage, then it is. But sometimes you have guys who don't want to play in it themselves, so it's not an advantage for them."

Singletary on Craig

Former 49ers running back Roger Craig is one of 25 semifinalists in the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process. It's the first time he's reached this point even though he has been eligible since 1999. Craig, a four-time Pro Bowler, was named the 1988 NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

One guy who found himself chasing Craig: Singletary.

"He's one of the best," Singletary said. "You think about Roger Craig, you really think about all of the things that the 49ers embodied at that particular time. He was just a workhorse. A great player that had a blue-collar mentality. He came out and got those knees sky high. Whether they were throwing the ball to him, handing it off to him or he was blocking, he was the guy that could really do some things. He was a triple threat."

Extra point

Here's a not-so-fun statistic, courtesy of the Buffalo News: West Coast teams have gone 0-16 this season when they play in the Eastern time zone. "Those kind of stats I don't even look at," Singletary said. "Hopefully, when it's all said and done, it's 1-16."

Mark Emmons, MediaNews Staff