Hines Ward nears his fifth 1,000-yard season

Ask Hines Ward what has been the key to 11 seasons of accomplishments, and he'll turn the question the way he turns defenders.

"You guys are the key," Ward said during a media scrum this week. "I love it when you write about what I can't do."

Most receivers prefer to run and catch without carrying extra baggage around, but Ward seems to play his best when he has that chip on his shoulder. It's uncertain who, if anybody, wrote that Ward wouldn't be on the doorstep of another 1,000-yard season going into the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns tomorrow. No matter. The former Super Bowl MVP plays his best when everything is on the line. Continue