Hines Field? Steelers' Ward sure hopes so

PITTSBURGH - Life on Revis Island was no vacation for Pittsburgh's Hines Ward when the Steelers lost at home to the Jets in Week 15. The 13-year veteran is the Steelers' all-time leading receiver, so it almost came as a slap in the face when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ignored him most of the game because he was being shadowed by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Ward finished with two catches for 34 yards in the 22-17 loss and groused afterward that he was open, if only someone on his team had noticed. Describing his frustration, Ward said, "The problem is you have your battle. You may beat them once, but the quarterback is not even looking to that side. When a quarterback does look your way, you have to be there and make sure you make a play."

If nothing else, Ward has succeeded in reminding Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin that he will be available when called upon in Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field.

Some have speculated that the Jets might shift Revis to cover second-year wide receiver Mike Wallace, who caught seven balls for 102 yards against coverage by the Jets' Antonio Cromartie.

However those matchups go, Ward suggested it might be up to slot receiver Emmanuel Sanders to make big plays against the Jets' third cornerback because Revis and Cromartie are big-time athletes who can catch as well as any wide receiver. And he noted tight end Heath Miller, who missed the Week 15 game with an injury, will be back in the lineup as another threat.

If the Steelers can run the ball as well as they did last time (147 yards), Ward figures it will slow down the Jets' pass rush, make them respect play-action fakes and open things up a little bit for the wide receivers. The Steelers had a season-best 65 percent (11-for-17) third-down conversion rate in that game, so Ward is confident they can move the ball.

When the Jets inevitably bring an all-out blitz, which is coach Rex Ryan's calling card, Ward says the Steelers must take advantage. The difference between Roethlisberger and the last two quarterbacks the Jets beat, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Ward said, "is Ben can escape some of those blitzes, and it puts their corners and secondary in a bind because they have to cover longer.

"Ben tends to make a play when he is outside the pocket. If they do go all-out blitz and he gets outside, hopefully we can exploit that."

If Ward is locked up again with Revis, his patience will be tested. But he understands why teams tend to avoid the Jets' All-Pro corner.

"He's a great cornerback, no question," Ward said. "Can he be beat? Yeah, he can be beat. I just think he swindles guys. You really don't want to mess around with him because if you make a mistake, he's a game-changer. As a wide receiver, you get frustrated, but . . . if the quarterback's not looking at you, ain't nothing you can do about it.''

Ward saw Revis play in college at Pittsburgh and became a fan. But it's different when they're competing against each other.

Ward said he has to remind himself, "It's not about Revis against me; it's the Steelers versus the Jets. I have to work my tail off to get open. We have fun. We were talking throughout the [last] game.

"I've got some old tricks up my sleeve. Hopefully, I can get open against him and make some plays . . . If he shuts me down with no catches, you won't hear me say anything if we win the ballgame."