Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens ran routes, caught passes and looked pretty healthy

as he participated in his first practice of the week on Friday.

Owens had been sidelined the previous two days with a strained hip, raising concerns that

he might miss Sunday's game at Tennessee.

Owens worked out on a limited basis and is listed as questionable, but he expects to play

against the Titans.

"With a lot of prayer and just rest and treatment I knew I would be ready," Owens said

after practice. "I've been in this situation. I know my body better than anybody or any

doctor, for that matter. Earlier in the week it was painful. I'm not sure what triggered it,

but I did everything today. Ran routes full speed, no pain, no nothing, so I'm good."

Owens added that he fell asleep on his couch Monday night, but woke up the following

morning with some stiffness. So he called the Bills' trainers to get his hip checked out.

After two days of treatment, Owens was feeling like his old self.

"It was just one of those things," he said. "Like I said, I don't know what happened, but I

felt fine [Friday]. If you would have asked me [Thursday], it would have been iffy. But I'm

very faithful and with prayer you can't be denied, so I really wasn't worried about it."

Coach Dick Jauron liked what he saw from Owens, but wants to wait and see how he feels a

day after a vigorous workout.

"I don't know if anybody knows exactly how it will respond because he worked pretty hard on

it today, so we'll have to see," Jauron said Friday. "But hopefully it's gone and it will just

get better and better."

Owens has been remarkably durable during his 14-year career. The last time he missed a

regular season game was in 2003, when he sat out Philadelphia's last two contests after

breaking his ankle on a now-illegal horse collar tackle by then-Dallas Cowboys safety Roy

Williams. Owens did return to play for the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Owens also sat out the Bills' last four preseason games with a sprained toe, but he said

that was caused by the shoes he wore in the Hall of Fame game.

On a lighter note, Owens made it clear his couch was the blame for the sore hip.

"My couch is pretty comfortable, so it's easy to fall asleep on it," he said with a wide

grin.

. . .

Cornerback Terrence McGee will miss Sunday's game because he's still recovering from the

arthroscopic knee surgery he had during the bye week. Also ruled out with injuries are outside

linebacker Keith Ellison (quadriceps) and defensive tackle Kyle Williams (sprained knee). All

three players did not attend practice on Friday.

Defensive end Aaron Schobel is questionable with a sore groin, though he did practice on

a limited basis. Also questionable are safety Donte Whitner (ankle), offensive tackle Jamon

Meredith (knee) and wide receiver Roscoe Parrish (knee). Parrish was added to the injury list

because he left practice early after "tweaking" a knee, according to Jauron.

Listed as probable are quarterback Trent Edwards, safety Bryan Scott, offensive tackle

Jonathan Scott, tight end Shawn Nelson, fullback Corey McIntyre and safety Jairus Byrd.

. . .

The Titans will have their best cornerback, Cortland Finnegan, on Sunday. He practiced

fully on Friday for the first time this week due to a sore hamstring. No. 2 cornerback Nick

Harper practiced for the third straight day coming off a broken forearm, but there is a

suspicion that he'll sit out a fourth straight game because Rod Hood has played well in a

starting role the past three games.

Starting right tackle David Stewart (hamstring) is questionable, but is expected to play.

Also questionable is starting linebacker David Thornton (hip), who will be a game time

decision. The Titans may choose to stay with rookie linebacker Gerald McRath, who played well

as Thornton's replacement last week. Running back LenDale White returned to practice after

missing the past two days with an illness. He is probable.

. . .

Grand Island native Brett Kern learned this season that when one door closes in the NFL,

another one opens.

After being released by the Denver Broncos on Oct. 27, the second-year punter was picked up

by the Titans. He replaced Reggie Hodges, who struggled after stepping in when long-time

punter Craig Hentrich suffered a season-ending calf injury.

Kern had a good rookie season in Denver, ranking fifth in the NFL with a 46.7-yard gross

average. He was averaging 46.1 gross yards in six games this season, but was 29th in net yards

(34.5) and a punt returned 77 yards for a touchdown.

But Kern is off to a good start with the Titans. He is averaging 45.6 gross yards and 43.7

net on nine punts in two games. Only three of his punts have been returned (for an average of

minus-1 yard) and he has downed five kicks inside the 20-yard line.