Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron remains hopeful that Terrell Owens will play in Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans after a strained hip forced the wide receiver to miss his second consecutive practice.
Jauron said Thursday that Owens is "still struggling" with the injury, which flared up during the team's off day Tuesday. Jauron added that he believed Owens was feeling better but still not good enough to be on the field.
“He didn’t come out to watch practice, and (head athletic trainer) Bud (Carpenter) is working hard with him," Jauron said, according to the Bills' Web site. "They’ve got him doing different things. ... We’ll just have to see where it goes (Friday).”
Owens walked without a limp in the locker room after practice, but he didn't speak with reporters. He hasn't missed a game because of injury since 2004, when he broke a leg.
“I don’t really know what his status is going to be,” Bills wide receiver Lee Evans told the Web site. “Obviously, we would love to have him in there, but right now he needs to get healthy and do what he has to do to try to play on Sunday. We’ll just have to address that when it comes, but for us, we have to go out there and prepare to play on Sunday and win. That’s what it’s all about.”
Said Jauron: “I’ll remain optimistic since we don’t have to make any declarations at all. It came on so quickly that I’m just hoping it passes the same way.”
In other Bills injury news, starting defensive end Aaron Schobel worked out on his own for the first time since hurting his groin during a Nov. 1 loss to the Houston Texans.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.