Hines Ward concussed, ends 186 game reception streak
Hines Ward sustained a concussion while trying to make a catch in the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 39-26 loss to the New England Patriots Sunday night. He was hit by Patrick Chung and James
Sanders, and the replay showed that Sanders’ helmet hit Ward’s.
It was initially ruled a completion, but the Patriots challenged the catch and replays showed that Ward did not maintain possession of the ball. With no completions in the game, Ward’s 186 consecutive
games with a reception streak ended. It was the longest such streak in Steelers’ history, and the third longest streak in the NFL.
Ward said that he will be ready to play next week against the Oakland Raiders, and that he would have returned to the game against the Patriots had Pittsburgh medical staff allowed him.
“I felt like I could have played but our (doctors) felt otherwise,” Ward said. “It’s my body. I feel like if I want to go back out there I should have the right. They saw me tripping over the grass and
the league was going to make a big deal about it, them putting me back out there.”
So far this season Ward has 30 receptions for 375 yards with four touchdowns. His injury can’t be blamed for loss. Ben Roethlisberger still threw for 387 yards with three touchdowns, and six different
receivers had more than two catches.
Still, Ward would have preferred to return to the game.
"I’m a competitor and I want to be out there, especially against the New England Patriots," said Ward. "I worked my tail off all week to get in that position and I got dinged up."
He is the fourth player on the team to sustain a concussion this week after Will Allen, Mewelde Moore, and Issac Redman all were hurt in Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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