STEELERS Ward eyes defenses' attention

The wide receiver said opposing defenses give him No. 2 billing in coverage.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- When Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward looks at his numbers, even he wonders just how he does it.
Second in the NFL in receptions. Second in receiving yards. Second in franchise history in receptions, ahead of Hall of Fame member Lynn Swann and trailing only Hall of Fame member John Stallworth.
"Hey, I seem to amaze myself," Ward said. "Every year I seem to do something people don't expect too much."
Then there's this nettlesome item, one that irritates Ward whenever it is mentioned: Most weeks, he also is second on his own team in attention paid by opposing defenses.
For everything the 1998 third-round draft pick has accomplished as a three-time Pro Bowl receiver, Ward still finds himself covered by the defense's second-best cornerback most weeks.
Can't ignore Burress
That's because Plaxico Burress, while not the all-around receiver Ward is, remains a big-play threat that opponents cannot ignore. It is why Burress drew most of the double coverage during a rain-soaked, 13-3 Steelers victory in Miami on Sunday night, and partly why Ward often doesn't receive the attention elite receivers such Terrell Owens and Isaac Bruce get.
Ward realizes it would be difficult to be as productive as he is with a less-skilled receiver lining up on the opposite side of the field. Yet he still fights the perception his consistency is the result of the system he plays in, rather than the persistent intensity he brings to the field on every play.
"Why wouldn't they [defenses] give me attention?" Ward said. "I know we've got a great group of wide receivers, but I've been to Pro Bowl three years in a row so I don't think teams are not giving me attention. We're finding ways to give ourselves an opportunity to go out and make plays and everybody's capitalizing on that."
On Sunday, Ward scored the game's only touchdown on an excellent leaping catch of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 7-yard pass just inside the right front end-zone pylon. It was a play that evolved from Ward telling Roethlisberger exactly where to throw the ball on such plays.