Terrell Owens will be taking the field for what is virtually certain to be his last game as a

Buffalo Bill on Sunday.

Is Owens acknowledging this as the Bills prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts?

Hah!

Anyone who thinks that would happen has not been paying attention to Owens' politically

correct, noncontroversial, conflict-free act in 2009.

Owens expressed his appreciation to Bills fans Wednesday when asked about his treatment

from the locals.

"The goal is to win the game, No. 1," Owens said. "Obviously there is not really much I can

do to give back to the fans with the amount of appreciation they have given me. But I would

like to say thank you to all the fans out there.

"I know there has been an endless amount of support from Day One, and so that was enough in

itself to make me feel welcome here and make me feel at home. ... I can't say enough about the

fans and how they have opened their arms and the city to me."

While Owens says he will keep his options open for 2010, there is no way he is going to be

eager to return to a Bills team that is in rebuilding mode, starting from scratch at

quarterback and mired in a miserable, seven-year offensive slump.

Conversely, it's hard to imagine the Bills making a pitch for the 36-year-old Owens to

return when they will have a new regime determined to make a fresh start.

With 51 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns, Owens is having his least productive

full season in 10 years. Given the colossal dysfunction of the Bills' offense, Owens' agent,

Drew Rosenhaus, no doubt will tell teams, with some justification, that Owens' numbers

actually aren't all that bad. All Rosenhaus needs to do is point to Lee Evans' numbers (40

catches for 563 yards) to make his case.

Owens has said all the right things about the offensive calamity surrounding him.

"From a personal standpoint, I haven't really played up to my standards," he acknowledged.

"I felt like with the addition of myself and some other guys, we could get the job done,"

Owens said. "From the week before the season, I think things started to get unraveled. Fire

[offensive coordinator Turk Schonert], release our tackle [Langston Walker] shortly after

that. It has been a snowball effect of a lot of things. If you factor in the rash of injuries

we've had, and it has been kind of a downward spiral."

Owens will be able to tell potential suitors this winter that he did not contribute to the

downward spiral. Despite his reputation for divisiveness, he has made virtually no

off-the-field headlines.

He went to Toronto this month, with the coach's permission, on a day in which he missed

practice. That was called into question. He didn't like practicing in bitter cold one day. He

suggested in a joking manner that he wasn't thrilled with the way the no-huddle offense tired

him out before the season opener. That was a blip in the media's coverage. Overall, Owens kept

his mouth shut through all of the Bills' problems.

Does he think his mild-mannered behavior this year has changed the way some NFL executives

perceive him?

"I am not sure; it depends on who you ask," Owens said. "I really feel wholeheartedly the

situation in Dallas was out of my control. I feel that those guys in the locker room, a lot of

them, had my back in the situation. I felt like that decision [to release him] was

unwarranted. ... I am sure if you do your research a number of guys can attest to that.

"For myself, the perception is going to be out there regardless. I didn't come in here to

try and change anybody's mind. I am just being myself and being who I have been all along."

Owens, like all the Bills players, has been forced to find a way to persevere through the

disappointing season.

"I still feel that God has put me in this situation for whatever reason," he said.

"Obviously it wasn't the reason that I envisioned, so obviously he has somewhat of a plan, and

I think I've grown a lot during this whole process. It's been tough, it's been frustrating and

there have been times where I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.

"But you know, I know that wouldn't be the right thing to do, wouldn't really help the

situation at all, and I think that's part of me growing and maturing along the way. And at the

same time I've been here to help a lot of young guys to blossom their skills and perfect their

craft. ... It's been a joy just to be around a lot of the guys and get to know them."