THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO -- It seems Terrell Owens won't be the only NFL marquee player on display when the Buffalo Bills head north to play at Toronto's Rogers Centre later this year.

Both NFL.com and The NFL Network reported Sunday that the Indianapolis Colts -- led by star quarterback Peyton Manning -- are the top choice to be Buffalo's opponent for the game.

Buffalo made headlines March 7 when it signed the controversial Owens to a US$6.5-million, one-year contract just two days after the 35-year-old was released by the Dallas Cowboys.

But the Bills figure Owens is the right complement to their top receiver, Lee Evans. The six-foot-three, 218-pound Owens has registered 1,000-yard seasons in nine of his 13 NFL campaigns and finished with double-digit touchdown grabs on eight occasions.

And then there's Manning, who turns 33 later this month and is a three-time winner of the NFL MVP award. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl player and was the MVP of the Colts' 2006 Super Bowl victory. He is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of Eli Manning, the MVP of the New York Giants '07 Super Bowl season.

Having two such marquee players would certainly be a boon for the Toronto-based group that last year agreed to pay the Bills $78 million -- more than double Buffalo's calculated 2006 operating income -- to play eight games at Rogers Centre. The Bills Toronto Series consists of five regular-season and three exhibition contests to be played in Canada through the 2012 season.

Last year, the Bills played twice in Toronto, an exhibition game in August against Pittsburgh and a regular-season contest last December against Miami. This year, Buffalo is scheduled to play just once in the regular season but neither the opponent nor the date have yet been established.

NFL.com reported those announcements could come during the March 22-25 owners' meetings in Dana Point, Calif.

Neither of last year's games were sellouts at Rogers Centre, which has a seating capacity of about 55,000 for football. The Bills attracted less than 49,000 fans for their 24-21 exhibition win over Pittsburgh and 52,134 for a lethargic 16-3 loss to arch-rival Miami in December.

Both turnouts were a disappointment considering organizers are paying the Bills an average of $9.75 million per contest. Steep ticket prices, ranging from $75 to $575, certainly didn't help.

Bills fans were also upset that the Miami game was played in Toronto in a domed stadium. The contest traditionally was played outside in Orchard Park, N.Y., at Ralph Wilson Stadium where the frigid, blustry conditions gave Buffalo a decided home advantage. That wasn't the case indoors, where not only was the indoor temperature a balmly 20 C, but there was a large contingent of the fans on hand sporting Dolphins colours.

And that debate will likely heat up again once the NFL announces the Bills' '09 opponent in Toronto because NFL.com suggests the game is likely to be played again in December so as to not conflict with the CFL. And facing the Colts' high-powered offence indoors certainly won't be an advantage for Buffalo, especially considering Indianapolis plays its home games in a domed facility.

Another factor for not selling out against Miami was the Bills limped into Toronto having lost five of its six games prior to that contest. It wasn't long after the loss to the Dolphins that Buffalo was eliminated from playoff contention -- despite a 4-0 start and winning five of its first six contests -- and missed the NFL post-season for the ninth consecutive year with a third-straight 7-9 record.

Buffalo's playoff drought is not only the longest in club history but also ties Detroit for the longest active drought in the NFL.