With Hines Ward nursing an ankle injury throughout the week leading up to the Steelers’ showdown with the Patriots, Pittsburgh decided to declare him inactive for Sunday. You might think that Ward would have wanted to tough it out in such an important conference match-up, but the Steelers felt there was no need to push it. Why? Well, for one thing there is a lot of football left to play this season and Pittsburgh could use a healthy Ward down the stretch. More importantly, the Patriots probably couldn’t stop Georgia Tech’s passing attack let alone an NFL team’s.
“I probably could have forced it and played but we have some great wideouts,” Ward said according to Boston.com via the Post-Gazette. “I wasn’t really concerned. And against the Patriots, we felt we could exploit their secondary. That wasn’t the same secondary that we played against a year ago without having [James Sanders], [Brandon Meriweather] wasn’t back there, and they let Leigh Bodden go. We kind of liked our matchups. So there was no need for me to try to force it and go.”
If the New England defense is as bad as many expect, they stand little chance of improving. If they are a group that was carefully selected by Bill Belichick that needs a kick in the ass in order to gel, now would be a good time. No defense in the NFL is getting less respect right now than Belichick’s. They already had a former team leader rip them apart for their scheme and roster moves this week. If Ward saying he sat out because you don’t need any extra weapons when facing the Patriots doesn’t motivate New England, nothing will.
