Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

If he averages 4 catches per game he will get there either in week 11 or week 12. I don't see him averaging 4 catches per game, every game, so I'm going with the 16th week of the season (game 15) as the milestone game for Hines.

I'm with Dee Dub in that I'm not certain Hines should be getting the reps he's getting. The Steelers have WRs ready to start making an impact in the passing game. Blocking in the running game will take a hit, but the running game is becoming a dinosaur in the NFL with teams throwing the ball 40-50 times per game regularly.

The need to be a great blocker in the run game is becoming less and less of a skill necessary for WRs, IMO.

Catch 1,000 occurs on December 24th vs St. Louis at home; that would be a unique Christmas gift for Hines.

Pappy

Thanks pappy for at least GIVING a date, and a team that Hines will get his 1,000th catch. As where Dub did not. But as for Hines, and whether he should not be above Sanders or Brown, well forget the blocking aspect for a moment. Does either of those two WR's run a route, especially a short route as well as Hines ? Does either of them have the pure strength to seperate from the Line as well as Hines does ? The answer to these questions is a easy NO!! Not even close. Like I said, if we had a Patriots O-Line, I might agree with you cause then both Sanders and Brown would HAVE the time to get down field and cause havic. But as it is, all the speed in the world doesn't mean S_H_I_T! when your O-Line is giving up pressure in LESS then 1/2 second on your QB!! Why do you think Ben himself was QUOTED as to wanting more Quick pass plays called...to SAVE his Butt! And Hines is still a top-10 to 15 WR in this league when it comes to running crisp routes, and at gaining initial seperation at the Line of scrimmage due to his strength.


As our Line gets better ( Hopefully )....you will see more 4 WR sets with a RB in the backfield. That means BOTH Sanders & Brown, along with Wallace and Ward will be in the game.....so Ward isn't hindering anyones growth, or time on the field.

[papillon]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

If he averages 4 catches per game he will get there either in week 11 or week 12. I don't see him averaging 4 catches per game, every game, so I'm going with the 16th week of the season (game 15) as the milestone game for Hines.

I'm with Dee Dub in that I'm not certain Hines should be getting the reps he's getting. The Steelers have WRs ready to start making an impact in the passing game. Blocking in the running game will take a hit, but the running game is becoming a dinosaur in the NFL with teams throwing the ball 40-50 times per game regularly.

The need to be a great blocker in the run game is becoming less and less of a skill necessary for WRs, IMO.

Catch 1,000 occurs on December 24th vs St. Louis at home; that would be a unique Christmas gift for Hines.

Pappy

Thanks pappy for at least GIVING a date, and a team that Hines will get his 1,000th catch. As where Dub did not. But as for Hines, and whether he should not be above Sanders or Brown, well forget the blocking aspect for a moment. Does either of those two WR's run a route, especially a short route as well as Hines ? Does either of them have the pure strength to seperate from the Line as well as Hines does ? The answer to these questions is a easy NO!! Not even close. Like I said, if we had a Patriots O-Line, I might agree with you cause then both Sanders and Brown would HAVE the time to get down field and cause havic. But as it is, all the speed in the world doesn't mean S_H_I_T! when your O-Line is giving up pressure in LESS then 1/2 second on your QB!! Why do you think Ben himself was QUOTED as to wanting more Quick pass plays called...to SAVE his Butt! And Hines is still a top-10 to 15 WR in this league when it comes to running crisp routes, and at gaining initial seperation at the Line of scrimmage due to his strength.


As our Line gets better ( Hopefully )....you will see more 4 WR sets with a RB in the backfield. That means BOTH Sanders & Brown, along with Wallace and Ward will be in the game.....so Ward isn't hindering anyones growth, or time on the field.

Actually, from what I've been seeing Hines is having problems getting separation. Of his 9 catches, I believe 3 of them are the immediate hitch or screen pass whatever you want to call it. The one he had on the sideline against the Hawks was all the throw by Ben, Hines was not open (it was a great catch though). He isn't Ben's security blanket like he once was on third down. This, of course, is just my opinion from what I've seen on TV and not sitting in the stands seeing the entire play unfold.

The young guys are running pretty good routes and Ben is getting used to the depth and angles in which they run their routes. As the season wears on it is going to be difficult to keep them off the field as they develop more and more chemistry with Ben. They get open pretty easily from what I've seen, particularly in man coverage.

Reading the zone coverage is a work in progress, but they aren't completely void of the ability to read a zone defense.

Pappy

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

If he averages 4 catches per game he will get there either in week 11 or week 12. I don't see him averaging 4 catches per game, every game, so I'm going with the 16th week of the season (game 15) as the milestone game for Hines.

I'm with Dee Dub in that I'm not certain Hines should be getting the reps he's getting. The Steelers have WRs ready to start making an impact in the passing game. Blocking in the running game will take a hit, but the running game is becoming a dinosaur in the NFL with teams throwing the ball 40-50 times per game regularly.

The need to be a great blocker in the run game is becoming less and less of a skill necessary for WRs, IMO.

Catch 1,000 occurs on December 24th vs St. Louis at home; that would be a unique Christmas gift for Hines.

Pappy

Thanks pappy for at least GIVING a date, and a team that Hines will get his 1,000th catch. As where Dub did not. But as for Hines, and whether he should not be above Sanders or Brown, well forget the blocking aspect for a moment. Does either of those two WR's run a route, especially a short route as well as Hines ? Does either of them have the pure strength to seperate from the Line as well as Hines does ? The answer to these questions is a easy NO!! Not even close. Like I said, if we had a Patriots O-Line, I might agree with you cause then both Sanders and Brown would HAVE the time to get down field and cause havic. But as it is, all the speed in the world doesn't mean S_H_I_T! when your O-Line is giving up pressure in LESS then 1/2 second on your QB!! Why do you think Ben himself was QUOTED as to wanting more Quick pass plays called...to SAVE his Butt! And Hines is still a top-10 to 15 WR in this league when it comes to running crisp routes, and at gaining initial seperation at the Line of scrimmage due to his strength.


As our Line gets better ( Hopefully )....you will see more 4 WR sets with a RB in the backfield. That means BOTH Sanders & Brown, along with Wallace and Ward will be in the game.....so Ward isn't hindering anyones growth, or time on the field.

Actually, from what I've been seeing Hines is having problems getting separation. Of his 9 catches, I believe 3 of them are the immediate hitch or screen pass whatever you want to call it. The one he had on the sideline against the Hawks was all the throw by Ben, Hines was not open (it was a great catch though). He isn't Ben's security blanket like he once was on third down. This, of course, is just my opinion from what I've seen on TV and not sitting in the stands seeing the entire play unfold.

The young guys are running pretty good routes and Ben is getting used to the depth and angles in which they run their routes. As the season wears on it is going to be difficult to keep them off the field as they develop more and more chemistry with Ben. They get open pretty easily from what I've seen, particularly in man coverage.

Reading the zone coverage is a work in progress, but they aren't completely void of the ability to read a zone defense.

Pappy

Pappy, you are correct on one thing, in the Seahawks game, Ward DID catch two WR Screen plays. But that is not because he is having trouble gaining seperation. That is because our LINE can't give Ben any protection on 80 % of our passing plays. And Ward gives us our BEST chance on that screen pass cause he is better at gaining yards after the catch then anyone else we have. Both of those screens actually worked. Like I told Dub, Hines is not the WR he was say 5 years ago. But he is still a top-30 WR, and certainly is NOT a 4th or 5th WR as Dub stated. I mean that is just Nuts Pappy! I mean I think Tomlin would pull Ward if he saw he was struggling to get off the Line, or was a hinderence to our offense out there. He is not. He is one of the reasons our offense moves at all.

[feltdizz]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Hines isn't the reason Ben is getting killed, Ben isn't the reason Hines had a great catch last week. Hines is Hines.. never was that fast, never had separation he just finds ways to get open.

Let's stop acting like these other WR's have shown the ability to get open in pressure situations. More times then not they haven't shown they are there yet.

I'm ready for Hines to bounce but the guy deserves to go out with 1000 receptions under his belt. It's not like he is the weak link in our offense.

[flippy]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

It's not like Hines is getting old and losing a step. He never had a step to lose to begin with.

It's not like he was blazing fast and ever got great separation. His game has always been about running good routes and finding soft spots in a zone.

We should absolutely get Sanders/Brown more involved on some quick strikes/slants. But at the same time Sanders/Brown/Wallace aren't going to block LBs or DLinemen and seal the edge on running plays.

99% of TEs are really WRs. Hines is the one WR in the game that's effectively out there playing like a TE.

Sanders and Brown should be seeing playing time over DJ and Saunders, not Ward imho.

[Ghost]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Holy @##$%...Pap is a moderator here? Who the @#$% knew? That's #$%^ing crazy. Guess I'll have to watch out when I call him a #$%$^ and sometimes a #$%%^. But mostly he's a #$%^&ing #$%!.

Learn something @#$%ing new every day. I'll be @#$%ed.

[papillon]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Holy @##$%...Pap is a moderator here? Who the @#$% knew? That's #$%^ing crazy. Guess I'll have to watch out when I call him a #$%$^ and sometimes a #$%%^. But mostly he's a #$%^&ing #$%!.

Learn something @#$%ing new every day. I'll be @#$%ed.

Hey, hey, hey, keep it family friendly.

Just like Meet the Parents, I'm watching you and you are not in the circle of Trust.

Pappy

[Ghost]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

And oh yeah...week 14 at home against the Browns during a national broadcast so all those idiots at NFL network(read: Rich Eison and Marshall Faulk) have to sing his praises.

[aggiebones]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

I too was hoping the Baltimore game was a bit later. It will be tough to get by then.

DeeDub that was a dumb answer. No need to dump on the veterans all the time. Hines can play the game for 60 minutes and understands EVERY facet of the game. Frankly, Sanders and Brown are not close to being the complete WR that Hines is. They are more athletic however and that should help Hines get open. The youth will be served, but it would indeed be foolish to forget about Hines. He is crafty and has great hands, runs great routes and blocks obviously very well. Brown and Sanders and Wallace as well have alot to learn before they are in his status. They are all fast and do catch well and hopefully they learn the ins and outs of the game better over the next couple years.
Right now, I'd be worried about Wallace, Sanders and Brown all playing the top 3 WRs with Ward on the bench. Near future, hopefully yes. But not today. And Ben likely agrees with me.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Holy @##$%...Pap is a moderator here? Who the @#$% knew? That's #$%^ing crazy. Guess I'll have to watch out when I call him a #$%$^ and sometimes a #$%%^. But mostly he's a #$%^&ing #$%!.

Learn something @#$%ing new every day. I'll be @#$%ed.

Hey, hey, hey, keep it family friendly.

Just like Meet the Parents, I'm watching you and you are not in the circle of Trust.

Pappy

At least he didn't call anyone Gay Focker.

[flippy]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Holy @##$%...Pap is a moderator here? Who the @#$% knew? That's #$%^ing crazy. Guess I'll have to watch out when I call him a #$%$^ and sometimes a #$%%^. But mostly he's a #$%^&ing #$%!.

Learn something @#$%ing new every day. I'll be @#$%ed.

Hey, hey, hey, keep it family friendly.

Just like Meet the Parents, I'm watching you and you are not in the circle of Trust.

Pappy

At least he didn't call anyone Gay Focker.

Martha Focker!!!!

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

Bires: Ward refuses to act age

Wed Sep 21, 2011
By Mike Bires [email="mbires@timesonline.com"]mbires@timesonline.com[/email]



PITTSBURGH -- Hines Ward admits that his “day is coming.” He knows that in time he will lose his starting job with the Steelers. He just hopes it doesn’t happen any time soon — as in this year.

Gone are the days when Ward runs routs as Ben Roethlisberger’s No. 1 target.

Ward may still be the self-proclaimed “leader of the wideouts” when it comes to know-how and leadership. But the main man on the receiving corps is now Mike Wallace, the third-year speedster who continues to put up remarkable numbers.

Then there are the two fleet-footed second-year pros, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Next year, one of them will surely nudge Ward closer to retirement. One of them will join Wallace in the starting lineup when the 2012 season begins. Both offer so much talent.

But for now, Ward remains a viable option. He may be 35 but he still has much to contribute. Granted, he’s not as fast as he was in his prime although he was never a burner to begin with. He may have a harder time getting open than he once did, especially against big, physical cornerbacks. No longer does the opposition’s best cover corner guard him.

But Ward will still have his moments.

So far in two games, Roethlisberger has targeted Wallace 20 times. Ward and Brown were the intended receiver 15 times each. Wallace leads the team with 16 catches. Ward is second with nine. Brown is third with six.

And none of the young wide receivers block as well as Ward. It’s not even close.

In Sunday’s 24-0 win over the Seahawks, Wallace (126), Brown (67) and Sanders (44) each had more receiving yards than Ward (33). But it was Ward who was open on a trick play in the first quarter when Sanders threw to him for 15 yards. Then in the third quarter, Ward made a nifty catch along the sideline, keeping both feet inbounds for a 15-yard gain.

“Twinkle toes,” Ward, a “Dancing with the Stars” champion, said when describing that catch.

Roethlisberger called Ward’s catch a “phenomenal play on his part.”

In 2009, Ward signed a four-year contract extension that will allow him to finish his career with the Steelers. He’s locked in through the 2013 season.

The owner of 14 different Steelers’ receiving records, Ward ranks No. 8 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list with 963. He needs just 37 more to become just the eighth receiver in league history to reach 1,000.

He’s on pace this year to catch 72.

Ward doesn’t have many more years to play. But that doesn’t mean he’s fading fast. He still can make plays.

[url="http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/bires-ward-refuses-to-act-age/article_74c71d0b-077f-52eb-9580-c20040b2e5c1.html"]http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local ... 2e5c1.html[/url]

[fezziwig]

Re: Prediction: When will Ward get 1,000 catches ?

He'll get his 1000 th catch right after 999 catches.

Anyway, with all the receivers he has to compete with he , will probably get it in within the last three games of the season.

Just think how his stats would have read if we wern't a running team for most of his career. Then with Cowher bringing in Plaxico, Troy Edwards and not handing over the starting position to him early in his career like I thought he should have received.

Hines would probably be coming up on 1200 or 1300 catches by now. Not complaining, just saying how it might have been.