The last time Terrell Owens finished an NFL game without a catch was Week Seven of his rookie year — in 1996.

A streak that started 185 games ago didn't reach 186 as the veteran wide receiver was shut

out during the Buffalo Bills' 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

After blowing off the media after the first two games, Owens came to the lectern to discuss

the game. He didn't have much to say about his performance, which perhaps was fitting since

there wasn't much of a performance to talk about.

"It's over," was his response when asked about his consecutive games streak coming to an

end.

Owens was a nonfactor against a Gregg Williams-coached Saints defense that shut down the

Bills' passing game. Quarterback Trent Edwards' longest completion was 18 yards. The Bills'

biggest pass play came on special teams when punter Brian Moorman threw a 25-yard touchdown to

defensive end Ryan Denney on a fake field goal.

"We tried to mix up our coverages and give the Bills different looks," said Saints

cornerback and former Bill Jabari Greer, who covered Owens much of the afternoon and broke up

a third-quarter pass intended for Owens that was intercepted by defensive end Will Smith. "It

was a total team effort. Coach Williams put a great game plan together and put us in position

to make plays up front and on the back end."

"It's always a victory for us when we can take away one of their top receivers," added

Saints cornerback Tracy Porter. "We didn't let [Owens] get any catches, and that had a lot to

do with getting pressure on the QB. They were forced to check down a lot. That was a victory

for us."

Owens had his chances to affect the game, though.

Edwards went deep to Owens twice, and both times he appeared to be open. But Owens was

unable to pick up the flight of the first long throw in the first quarter and the ball fell in

front of him and Saints safety Darren Sharper.

Owens was at least two steps behind the defense on a bomb in the fourth quarter, but he

couldn't catch up to Edwards' overthrown pass.

Overall, Owens was thrown to five times Sunday. But he bobbled one catch as he stepped out

of bounds and he couldn't keep his feet in the field of play on another.

Getting the ball to Owens has been a weekly problem for the Bills.

He was shut out in the first half of the opener at New England and finished with just two

catches. He was invisible for most of last week's win over Tampa Bay before grabbing a 43-yard

touchdown in the fourth quarter.

That's five catches for 98 yards through three games for Owens, hardly the kind of

production for which the Bills paid him $6.5 million. He has been the target on throws just 13

times. He had games where he was thrown to more in Dallas, Philadelphia and San

Francisco.

"Just going with the plays that are called," Owens said repeatedly to questions about his

lack of involvement in the Bills' offense. "Whether I like them or don't, I'm just going with

the plays that are called."

Owens had a quiet afternoon, but fellow Bills receiver Lee Evans didn't make a lot of noise

either. He made four catches for a mere 31 yards.

The Bills are also struggling to get Evans loose downfield, but he suggested that the

shots are there if they would just take them.

"The most frustrating part is we had some chances and we let them go," he said. "We had some

chances to go down the field and we didn't. When it comes down to it, sometimes when it's not

going your way, you need kind of a game-changer, a big play to take a shot at some point. The

one shot [to Owens] we did take, we just missed it. But we should have had a few more of

those, and we didn't."

So is Edwards not looking in the direction of his two best receivers enough?

"No, I don't want to answer that," said Owens, who has been known for being critical of

quarterbacks not getting him the ball. "I don't want to answer that, because whatever I say

you guys are going to turn it to however you want to say it."

When his postgame chat ended, Owens made a hasty exit out of the Bills' locker room and

into the night, leaving behind a day he'd rather forget.