I guess we got the answer to the No. 1 question asked this week.
Will the Pittsburgh Steelers, namely wide receiver Hines Ward and safety Troy Polamalu, change their style of play because of the fines handed down by the NFL?
The answer: an emphatic, no.
In fact, Ward took it a step further.
He broke the jaw of Cincinnati Bengals rookie linebacker Keith Rivers with a hit that was probably felt all the way in Rivers’ hometown of Riverside, Calif.
Ward has always had a rep of being a hard-nosed player. A blocker with no peer, it seemed Ward was out to show the Bengals and the NFL that nothing – not even a lightening of the wallet by Roger Goodell – would stop him from playing the brand of football he has played for years.
Good for Ward – and good for the Steelers.
I was wondering if the fines and controversy of the last week would temper the way the Steelers played. I was pondering the affects the fines would have subconsciously on Ward, Troy Polamalu and the rest of the physical Steelers.
Would they have in the back of their minds when running full bore at a Bengal, “Hmm. If I hit him really hard, will I get fined?”
No such thoughts, my friend.
Polamalu actually got the worst of his hit on Cedric Benson, losing his helmet and knocking himself silly.
It was good to see the mindset of the Steelers didn’t change.
The new question becomes: how much will those two hits cost Ward and Polamalu? I guess we will find out this week.
Keywords: Cincinnati Bengals, Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers, Troy Polamalu
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