Jets DBs riled up over Hines Ward

[mesaSteeler]

Jets DBs riled up over Hines Ward
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6046723
By Ian Begley
Special to ESPNNewYork.com

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Antonio Cromartie knows the perfect way to stop Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward from throwing a blind-side block Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.

"Just tell [him] if he do it again you're gonna kick his ass," Cromartie said Friday afternoon.

Ward has developed a reputation because of his penchant for hitting opponents who aren't looking in his direction. Some Jets on Friday called his play "dirty" and "cheap."

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said the Jets refer to Ward as "the toughest player in the league, when no one's looking."

[+] EnlargeHines Ward
Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesBlocking when meeting your opponent face to face? No problem. But some Jets say Hines Ward drills foes when they aren't looking.

"We're going to deal with him early so he knows what type of game it's going to be, and that none of that stuff is being tolerated," Jets safety James Ihedigbo said.

Like a tone-setting hit?

"Hell yeah," the safety said.

Safety Eric Smith hesitated to say what would happen if Ward serves up any cheap shots on Sunday. Why? Because Smith is worried such words might incur a fine from the league.

"If I finish what I said and then do what I planned on doing, I'm going to get fined," Smith said.

Smith said Ward took some cheat shots at the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday in the Steelers' divisional round victory.

"We saw some of those plays, like in the Ravens game, he's out there hitting Dawan Landry in the back, he came across and hit Ray Lewis in the back," Smith said. "Ed Reed was 30 yards downfield and he's going down and hitting him. It's just unnecessary things like that that make you mad as a defender."

Prior to the 2009 season, the NFL implemented a new rule stating that a 15-yard penalty would be assessed if a player delivers a blind-side block to the head of a defender using his helmet, forearm or shoulder. The new statute was commonly referred to as the "Hines Ward Rule."

"If you hit a guy like that, when he's looking at you and it's face to face then I'll be like, 'Hey, he's a pretty tough player,'" Ihedigbo said. "But if you hit someone in their back when they're pursuing a play or they're not even looking, that's a cheap shot."

The Jets coaching staff put together a video of Ward's hits prior to the Week 15 road win over the Steelers to alert defensive players.

More From ESPNNewYork.com

Everything you need to know about the Jets' AFC title game matchup can be found here:
Jets Center

Jets blog

"That makes you mad when you see stuff like that," Smith said.

Cromartie said that he doesn't really care if Ward hits opponents with blind-side blocks -- as long as he can hit back.

"I really don't care. You smash him in the mouth, he's going to smash back, whatever," Cromartie said. "Does he do it while you're not looking? Yeah, he does. But who doesn't?"

The Jets corner allowed that Ward's hits "can be" dirty. When such hits occur, Cromartie suggests that players "grab his ass by the throat and choke [him]."

Friday evening on SNY's "Loud Mouths," Cromartie said Ward is not "man enough" to hit players while they are looking.

At least one Jet respects Ward: Rex Ryan. The head coach game-planned for Ward and the Steelers during his 10-year tenure on the Ravens' coaching staff, so he is well-aware of Ward's reputation.

"He'll look for you now. If he can hit you, he's going to. And I've seen him knock out a ton of guys before," Ryan said. "Let's face it, they changed a rule [for] Hines Ward about hitting a defenseless player and all that kind of stuff.

"But, quite honestly, he's just finishing plays and there was no rule [before]. So he went out and he plays hard and he plays to the whistle. And that's the kind of guy he is. I respect the heck out of Hines Ward."

Ian Begley is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

[mcg24]

God knows the Jets defense won't hit our offensive players hard if they have the chance, how dare Hines Ward hit anyone!

[Fire Arians]

Originally Posted by mesaSteeler

"Just tell [him] if he do it again you're gonna kick his ass," Cromartie said Friday afternoon.

LOL like that will scare hines. I'll put 50 bucks down that hines ward beats the **** out of him then takes a shit on his face

seriously, he faces a ravens team that is much nastier and 2-3 times a year, he's heard all kind of threats from ray lewis for his entire career. you think trash talking hines is gonna get to him? unlikely. Really frickin' unlikely.

cromartie is talking all that shit but seriously I would worry about wallace burning his ass if I were him.

they had to put revis on ward because cromartie is too soft to deal with the likes of ward and the jets coaching staff probably knows it.

[SH-Rock]

Nice Jets. I'm pretty sure the Ravens do this everytime we play them and what does Hines do? Knock you out of your socks.

[Fire Arians]

for the record, those jets db's are in denial. in this video in a couple of the hits he clearly takes the defender head on and annihilates him.

actually all of these shots except the keith rivers and bart scott ones he took the defender on straight up. funny how some of these big bad defensive players whine more than quarterbacks when THEY get hit.

[YOUTUBE]nbLNFiQSTyE[/YOUTUBE]

[Danny136200]

Originally Posted by mesaSteeler

Jets DBs riled up over Hines Ward
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=6046723
By Ian Begley
Special to ESPNNewYork.com


"Just tell [him] if he do it again you're gonna kick his ass," Cromartie said Friday afternoon.


The Jets corner allowed that Ward's hits "can be" dirty. When such hits occur, Cromartie suggests that players "grab his ass by the throat and choke [him]."

Friday evening on SNY's "Loud Mouths," Cromartie said Ward is not "man enough" to hit players while they are looking.
.

This is coming from the softest player on the Jets team, once hines lays him out, he wont go back into the field.

[frunko1]

bart scott knows hines all to well. But also the jets seem to becoming a bunch of whiners like the ratbirds.


edit: already posted video

[tony hipchest]

"Just tell [him] if he do it again you're gonna kick his ass," Cromartie said Friday afternoon.

if he do it, you be having broken jaw. and no be telling anyone shit. you be drinking soup through da straw.

infakt he be hit you so hard all 10 of yo baby momma's be feelin it.

[SeinfeldNut]

Boy for a player who has been burned many times in big spots and even gave up in a playoff game when playing for the Chargers, he talks allot of crap. Can't wait to see him get caught out of position as Wallace whistles by him for a 50 yard gain.

[mcg24]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUCQAQ_mB0[/YOUTUBE]

Watch Cromartie choose not to tackle his now current teammate Shonn Greene, this is something I might expect to see in Pop Warner.