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Steelers HInes Ward pulls in a pass against the Jets defense in 2005.
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Hines Ward: Sunday will be the 'only time I root against Pittsburgh'

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Hines Ward: Sunday will be the 'only time I root against Pittsburgh'

The Steelers will be facing off against a few high-profile ex-Pittsburgh players on Sunday when they play the New York Jets.

First, there’s running back Le’Veon Bell, who left the Steelers last spring for New York after a prolonged contract dispute. There’s no hard feelings on Pittsburgh’s end, according to his teammates.

Less obvious is Hines Ward, a legendary Steelers receiver who joined the Jets last summer as a coaching intern. He seems to be feeling a bit conflicted about facing the franchise that he played for from 1998-2011, at least based on his comments published Thursday.

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“I’ll always bleed black and gold,” Ward told Jets team reporter Olivia Landis. “I’ve done great things there during my football career. I won a couple of championships and the city of Pittsburgh has treated me so great, but I still want to beat those guys. I want to go out there and win and help our team pull out the W.

Late Steelers receivers coach Darryl Drake and former Steeler Hines Ward in 2015.
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“It will be a little bittersweet,” he continued. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I’m also thankful for the Jets for giving me an opportunity to coach and to start my career in coaching. That will be the only time I root against Pittsburgh is when we play them, but hopefully we can find a way to pull out the win.”

The Jets have had a profoundly odd season, even by their standards. It was derailed early when quarterback Sam Darnold was forced to miss a long period of time while battling mononucleosis.

New York rallied a bit after Darnold’s return, but they’re still only 5-9 and out of the playoff race. They also seemed to not be totally all in on Bell and were reportedly talking to teams about potential trades for him — including the Steelers, who at 8-6 hold the AFC’s final playoff spot.

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Ward, however, has focused his efforts on helping receivers such as Jamison Crowder and Robby Anderson fine-tune their games. His work with them is paying dividends: Through 14 games, Crowder has caught 66 of 104 passes for 707 yards and five touchdowns, while Anderson has hauled in 47 of 85 balls for 729 yards and four touchdowns.

“At the end of the day, all any player wants to do is get better,” Ward told Landis. “And if I can help these guys get better and improve on something in their game to help them go out and produce on Sundays, that’s what it’s all about.”

Joshua Axelrod: jaxelrod@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jaxel222

First Published: December 19, 2019, 10:51 p.m.

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Steelers HInes Ward pulls in a pass against the Jets defense in 2005.  (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
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