Cornerback Nick Harper practiced Thursday wearing a protective flak jacket over his injured ribs, and pronounced himself ready to play Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I’m gonna go,” Harper said. “I’ve got a little compression of the ribs, but I’m good to go.”
Harper even said he plans on playing without the protective jacket if he can.
When asked if he would wear the jacket that was laying on the locker room floor, Harper said, "probably not," and joked, “I’m gonna go out there naked and raw.”
Harper suffered the injury last week against Jacksonville when he tried to tackle Jaguars receiver Jarrett Dillard, and the rookie fell on him and pressed his shoulder pads into his ribs.
“Right where the bottom of my shoulder pad meets the rib, it caught me right in that area. It was just a freak accident,” Harper said.
Meanwhile, the Titans other starting cornerback Cortland Finnegan was limited for a second straight day as he tries to make his way back from a right hamstring injury.
Titans coach Jeff Fisher is hopeful of having his starting cornerbacks available with red-hot Peyton Manning and the Colts coming to town Sunday night.
“When you’re playing the best passing offenses in the league, it would be good to have your starting corners. So we’re just hopeful that as the week progresses, he’ll be able to play,” Fisher said.
Jones uncertain
Meanwhile, the news is still uncertain for defensive tackle Jason Jones, who missed another day of practice with a shoulder injury.
Jones said he was clipped by a New York Jets receiver on the touchdown run by Mark Sanchez early in that game, but stayed in to finish up.
“It’s coming along. It’s feeling way better than it did when I first hurt it. Hopefully, I can play this game. It’s pretty much questionable right now. It’s up in the air,” Jones said.
Jones was expected to help fill a big role with the loss of Albert Haynesworth, but first a foot injury and now the shoulder haves short circuited his season thus far.
“You never want to be in that training room, while you’re watching your fellow teammates out there practicing,” Jones said. “That part of it is frustrating. But there’s really nothing I can do about it. Hopefully, it’ll get better soon and I can get back out there on the field.”
Fisher held out hope that Jones could practice Friday and perhaps play Sunday night.
“I’m hoping he’s going to be able to get on the practice field, but we’re just running out of time. Hopefully, he can get out tomorrow. He’s just uncomfortable still,” Fisher said.
Linebacker Colin Allred also missed another day with a shoulder injury, while Stanford Keglar was limited with his hamstring issue.
Linebacker Keith Bulluck (knee) was a full participant, as was receiver Nate Washington (concussion).
Bad call
The touchdown catch that Mike Sims-Walker had against Jason McCourty in the Titans 37-17 loss at Jacksonville was reviewed by Mike Pereira at the NFL office and was said to actually be incomplete, as Fisher had said in the game.
Walker’s 15-yard TD from David Garrard put the Jaguars up 27-3 and put the Titans completely out of the game just before halftime.
The call was ruled a touchdown on the field and was then upheld by the replay official in the booth.
“It was an incomplete pass. It should have never gone to review. I don’t believe there is any excuse for that. It’s an incomplete pass. It wasn’t the difference in the ballgame, but it was an error in judgment on behalf of the replay assistant, and I believe it was an error in judgment on behalf of the referee,” Fisher said.
Practice squad addition
The Tennessee Titans signed running back Lance Ball to their practice squad after hosting four running backs for visits on Thursday.
Ball played college football at Maryland and spent time last season with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Last year I was there from like the seventh game until training camp this year,” Ball said.
Ball’s claim to fame in Indy came against the Titans in last year’s regular-season finale, as he had an 83-yard rushing game in the Colts’ 23-0 victory.
Others who were in for visits included Jedidiah Collins of Washington State, Herbert Donaldson of Western Illinois and Kestahn Moore of Florida.
The Titans had a practice squad opening when they elevated cornerback Cary Williams to the 53-man roster last week and released quarterback Patrick Ramsey.