Hines Ward is a wanted man.
Or at least at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon in Cincinnati he will be.
Today when the Steelers face the Bengals, it will put Hines Ward and Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers on the field together for the first time since October 19, 2008 when the two teams played each other. This meeting today is significant because in that game, Ward laid a block on Rivers that was so devastating, it dropped Rivers to the ground and broke his jaw, ending his season.
Rivers was a first round selection of the Bengals last season, so he never played against Ward, thought I am sure he had been well advised of Ward's toughness as a receiver and blocker. Rivers' first physical encounter with Ward only validated his reputation, and then some.
Ward is known around the league for playing physical and being a fierce, fearless blocker. In fact, it was his hit on Rivers last season that prompted the NFL to create a new rule, fondly known as the Hines Ward Rule. The rule places restrictions on how a player can be blocked.
Ward vows not to alter his physical style of play merely because of the rule. Ward is not a dirty player but he'll still play as physical as the rules will allow. He might even take a shot at an illegal hit in order to spare the player from a career ending injury. to clarify this point, Ward has stated, "It's unfortunate it happened but I'm not going to change. If I get another opportunity to hit somebody, I'm going to take it. I'm not going low on anybody. To me, that's, I guess, an unwritten rule, kind of a code that you don't do that around the league, especially when nobody's watching. The Brett Favre incident where he hit the guy low? I would never try to do that to anybody."
"No, I'll still hit him, I'll just get fined," Ward said. "It's either that or try to hurt somebody. So you either fine me or you want me to end someone's career. I'd rather take a fine than end someone's career, so I'm not going to change."
Ward is referring to a a crackback block that Brett Favre laid on a Texans safety Eugene Wilson in the preseason, in which Favre was fined $10 thousand. A low hit, as long as it is legal, could blow out a players knee and end his career.
I don't know if Rivers is too happy to hear what Ward said. He claims that it's in the past and there are no hard feelings, but deep down, the guy's gotta be looking for a little payback. You can bet that the Bengals have been talking about this all week and will be looking for redemption.
The matchup between Ward and Rivers will be one to watch today. The Steelers are a physical team and the Bengals will need to match that style of play to win. The tone just might be set when Ward and Rivers meet again.
