Vanden Bosch expects to play at Kansas City

Kyle Vanden Bosch said the Tennessee Titans bye week came at a good time, because if the team had played last week, he said his consecutive starts streak of 53 regular-season games would have come to an end.

As it is, Vanden Bosch, who did not practice on Wednesday, rehabbed his strained groin and pronounced himself a go Sunday when the unbeaten Titans travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I wouldn’t have been ready. The bye week came at a good time. I’m really feeling good,” Vanden Bosch said.

Despite being held out of practice, Vanden Bosch ran and did rehab exercises, Vanden Bosch said the injury is healing and that he might be able to practice as soon as Thursday.

“Definitely, I expect to,” Vanden Bosch said. “I’ve been healing quickly and I feel really good. Today was another big step. Hopefully, I’ll be able to go out there and put a helmet on tomorrow.”

Vanden Bosch, the emotional leader of the Titans defense, is confident he will be ready by the time Sunday’s game rolls around.

“If I can go, I’ll go. And I feel right now that I’m well on the way. I can’t imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t play,” he said.

While Vanden Bosch appears ready to return, Titans defensive tackle Tony Brown said he is also getting closer to returning from an injured ankle.

“All I know is I show up every day for treatment, and they’re rubbing on it and putting ice on it. All I know is I’m out of the little boot I was in and walking around,” Brown said. “If it was up to me, I would have practiced today, but I guess they’re just taking some more precautionary action and keeping me out.”

Rookie second-round pick Jason Jones, who has mostly recovered from an early-season elbow problem, would step in if Brown can’t go and sounded eager at the thought of perhaps making his first NFL start.

“My elbow is feeling better, and right now, I’m just trying to improve each game,” Jones said. “Really, this will be my test right here. I’m starting, and it’ll be good for me to perform well.

“Right now, I think I will be a starter right now, but Tony is rehabbing every day and getting his ankle better. If he’s ready to go, then he’s going to be ready to go. All I’m doing right now is practicing and getting ready for the game, and get ready for the start if it comes my way.”

OTHER INJURIES: Receiver Justin Gage continues to miss time with a knee injury, but did run on the side on Wednesday. Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he has not ruled Gage out from returning to the practice field.

Gage missed the Titans’ win at Baltimore because of the injury.

Receiver Justin McCareins was a limited participant Wednesday with a hamstring injury.

DOING WELL: Former Montgomery Ball Academy quarterback Ingle Martin, who was on the Titans practice squad in 2007 and part of this season, is now a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards is pleased with Martin, whom the Chiefs signed after week one to their 53-man roster.

“He’s doing good, he really is. We like him,” Edwards said. “He’s still here even though he hasn’t played. We like him, he has some talent. We’re looking for young players, and he was a young quarterback. Now we have three young ones and we’re trying to develop a quarterback and see where we’re heading. But we like him, he’s got some ability.”