IRVING – The satellite trucks were still there, just not as many. The cameras were there too, just not as many. And the reporters from across the country were there as well, just not as many.
Life around the Cowboys did not return to normal Thursday, a day after Terrell Owens denied he made a suicide attempt by taking too much of the painkiller hydrocodone, which Dallas Police later reclassified as an accidental overdose. However, the day was closer to normal.
For the first time since fracturing a bone in his right hand Sept. 17, Owens practiced. During the open portion of the practice to the media, Owens appeared to catch passes without a problem.
Owens did "everything he was asked to do," coach Bill Parcells said. "He wasn't asked to do everything. He didn't take every play. He took his turns in the normal course of action."
Officially, Owens is listed as questionable on the injury report for Sunday's game at Tennessee. Parcells said a final decision on whether Owens will play will come Saturday night.
The Cowboys have contingencies in case Owens does not play. Sam Hurd, a rookie free agent, said he worked some with the first team Thursday, and Parcells added Patrick Crayton into the mix of possibly taking turns in Owens' spot.
"You wouldn't know he had a hand injury," said cornerback Nate Jones, who worked against Owens some in practice. "He was out there doing what he does."
What will Parcells have to see in today's practice and the Saturday walkthrough to make a decision on Owens?
"The same thing I need to see from every player – that he looks like he's functional and prepared with the game plan," Parcells said.
Owens politely declined comment Thursday. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was not made available for comment. And Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not return phone calls.
As Owens sat alone on one of the blue couches in the center of the Cowboys' locker room, cameras filmed and clicked. He read a copy of Dallas Cowboys Weekly and wore a black t-shirt that read, "U big dummy," with a picture of comedian Redd Foxx.
Parcells said he had a brief conversation with Owens on Thursday morning, but he would not get into Owens' mental state.
"I have to, as a coach, rely on other people to keep me informed as to really what's going on," Parcells said. "I can't form my own opinion other than those involving, 'Is his hand functional,' and 'Does it look like he can play on Sunday?' ... Other than that, I have to rely on others to inform me as to anything that's not directly pertinent to the aspect of playing football."
Despite the increased media around the team this week, Parcells has noticed nothing unusual about his team's preparation for the Titans. He does not believe this could become a bigger distraction.
"Because I think I have control of my team," Parcells said. "I think you people put more emphasis on team distractions than there really are at the end of the day that are in place."
As a throng of media hopped around the locker room, players were generally amused. Since Owens joined the Cowboys in March, they were prepared for the spotlight that followed.
"But definitely not this much," Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten said. "I don't know if I was naïve or what, but [Owens] has done a good job of taking care of that and not letting that carry over to the field and to us."
Parcells believes his history with high-profile players such as Lawrence Taylor, helps in these situations but acknowledged the media scrutiny is greater in 2006 than it was in 1986 when he was coaching the Giants.
"I think we're all the beneficiaries of our experiences," Parcells said. "I think those of us that analyze the situations for what they are, I think can benefit from the experience. There's a team on the field and I'm charged with that, and that's really where my responsibility is."
And it's a team that needs Owens to help meet the expectations.
"Just the whole mystery of us winning a Super Bowl," cornerback Terence Newman said. "He's a great player. He's a great asset to this team, so it's something that everyone in this locker room is willing to deal with."
E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com
