Rivers Wards off hit

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

Just like The Hit back on Oct. 19, Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward didn't hold back Wednesday when the topic of the broken jaw of Bengals WILL linebacker Keith Rivers resurfaced with Sunday's 4:15 p.m. rematch at Paul Brown Stadium.

In the wake of the rule change he spawned, Ward said he'd take the fine rather than hit Rivers low while Rivers literally turned the other cheek after saying last year, "You reap what you sow."

"I'm just trying to get a win in Week 3," said Rivers, when asked if he's been waiting for this game for a year. "I've been thinking about Denver when it's time for Denver and I've been thinking about Green Bay when it's time for Green Bay.

"I want to play well against everybody I play. It's all the same."

Rivers' promising rookie season came to a smashing end at PBS on the first series of the seventh game when Ward, the most feared blocker in the NFL, blindsided Rivers with a shot to his head when Ward turned back upfield to block.

"I came back and tried to help my teammate get extra yards," Ward said. "I peeled back, put a pretty good hit on him, unfortunately his jaw broke. I didn’t say I'm going to break this guy’s jaw."

The play was made illegal over the offseason with "The Hines Ward Rule," or "The Keith Rivers Rule" according to your perspective. Blockers are now barred from making blindside hits to the head and neck area.

On Wednesday, Ward said he'll still hit Rivers and take the fine rather than go low.

"I’ll still hit him. I’ll just get fined. It’s either that or try to hurt somebody," Ward told the Pittsburgh media. "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.

"Me being the defensive guy, I’d rather get high than low. Because if I hit Rivers (low) I probably would have blown out his knee, he never would have played football again. So whoever called me a dirty player, you look at it that way."

Rivers shrugged when told of thoughts Ward had also expressed back around when the rule was changed in the spring.

"We'll see how the rule works out. Hopefully it helps out as opposed to being worse like he's saying. Hopefully it works out and guys don't miss half the year. I'm just looking forward to playing. I don't have much to say about it. Hopefully it works out like that," Rivers said.

Asked if he'd get a shot to put a hit on a guy like Ward put on him, Rivers qualified it.

"It's football. Things happen. If it happened that way then it happened that way," Rivers said. "I don't know. It hasn't happened. I don't play offense, so I don't have the opportunity. Maybe an interception. We'll see. I just plan on going out and play football. What's in the past is in the past."

Ward has no doubt that Rivers wants to come calling.

"No more than I’m looking for him. It’s football. If he’s worried about me, he ain’t worrying about the 10 other guys or his responsibilities," Ward said. "He’s going to do his responsibility and if I get the ball, I'm sure he’ll take a shot on me. It’s not different. If that same play happens again, I'm going to take my shot again.

"It’s football. I'm just going to go out there and play. I'm not going to sit there and worry about Rivers; I have to go out there and try to help this team win the ball game."

Ward feels picked on and says he saw Colts receiver Reggie Wayne in the Monday night game in Miami peel back and hit a linebacker and nothing was called.

"Unfortunate thing is, me being labeled; then the rule change came out," Ward said. "It kind of singled me out as a dirty guy in the league, a dirty offensive player in the league. A wide receiver being dirty, I take that as a compliment."

On Wednesday, Rivers calmly just took it.

"All I'm doing," he said, "is looking for the 'W.'"

I hope Rivers knocks his head off, I would love to see that - The Bengals owe them a couple.

 

[.GR]

Everyone wants to kill Ward, but it's always Ward doing the beat down.

 

[elcheato]

Ward is the dirtiest player in the league, but there is this miss-conception that he actually is one of the nice guys of the NFL. Obviously the opposite.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

Ward is the dirtiest player in the league, but there is this miss-conception that he actually is one of the nice guys of the NFL. Obviously the opposite.

I could definitely agree with that but I believe that's just Pittsburgh's style of play.

 

[.GR]

Lol. Two division rivals hating on Ward? Hmm...

 

[elcheato]

He purposely took someones head off, the NFL made a rule against it, and he's talking about committing the penalty/illegal play on purpose if the situation arises, he's a punk, and a dirty player.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

He purposely took someones head off, the NFL made a rule against it, and he's talking about committing the penalty/illegal play on purpose if the situation arises, he's a punk, and a dirty player.

Hopefully he'll be crying again like he was against the Titans after he fumbled...

 

[Hako]

Hopefully he'll be crying again like he was against the Titans after he fumbled...

LOL

 

[420]

Ward's hits are legal. Just shut-up and play folks. This is a man's game.

Beasts and savages only, please.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

Ward's hits are legal. Just shut-up and play folks. This is a man's game.

Beasts and savages only, please.

They may have been last year but not this year - Still can't stand him.