Ward serious about not changing his game

By Neal Coolong  |   Monday, October 20, 2008  |  Comments( 3 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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When Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said he wasn't going to change his game after incurring $15,000 in fines for unnecessary roughness in Weeks 4 and 5, he wasn't kidding.

Just ask Cincinnati Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers.

Sunday, in Pittsburgh's 38-10 thrashing of the Cincinnati Bengals, Ward laid a savage hit on Rivers early in the game and broke his jaw, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Commentary: Was it a dirty hit? Let the debate begin. It's commonly accepted in the NFL that Ward is a dirty player, and while he has that reputation -- previous fines indicate the league shares that opinion as well -- replay of his hit on Rivers shows him leading with his front shoulder. Rivers is listed at 6-foot-2, and it appears Ward's shoulder is driven into Rivers' chest, and his helmet naturally follows his shoulder as he explodes upward into the hit. His helmet got underneath Rivers' face mask, landing the shot on his jaw.

It was an unfortunate result of a clean and aggressive hit. There's no chance Ward's opponents will see it that way, but it doesn't seem that the league has grounds to fine or suspend him. Rivers was probably the only person watching the game who didn't see the hit coming a split second before it came, so the fact it didn't draw a flag holds some weight. Then again, Ward leads the league in fines for unflagged unnecessary roughness.

Fan Pulse: On the Pittsburgh Live message board, Steelers fans are applauding Ward for his aggressive approach and his four catches, 60 yards and touchdown against the Bengals.

On the Bengalszone message board, Cincy fans are hoping Rivers learns to keep his head on a swivel next year.

Fantasy Football Impact: Ward has surprisingly emerged as the team's top fantasy eceiver, leading it in catches, yards and touchdowns.

Injury Watch: Rivers is said to be out for the season with a broken jaw.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one...
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