Hines Ward's NFL Career Timeline

Hines Ward Career Timeline - 2001 - 4th Year

<- Prior Year	Back To Career Index	Next Year ->

Date	Opponent	Game Recap	Final
9/9/01	@ Jacksonville Jaguars	Ward leads the team with seven catches for 82 yards in season-opener, including a long of 34. On an incomplete pass by Kordell Stewart, Ward makes the tackle on Hardy Nickerson.	L 3-21
9/16/01		Due to the September 11th attacks the National Football League postponed all games. It was played after the rest of the scheduled season had been completed.
9/30/01	@ Buffalo Bills	Ward has his then career-high nine receptions for 79 yards, converting three first downs.	W 20-3
10/7/01	Vs. Cincinnati Bengals	In the first game ever played at the new Heinz Field, Ward leads the team for the third straight game with eight receptions for 68 yards, including a key 24-yard gain on a third-and-long that helps lead to the Steelers' game-clinching field goal by Kris Brown.	W 16-7
10/14/01	@ Kansas City Chiefs	Ward has four receptions for 38 yards and the team's first receiving TD on a five-yard pass from Kordell Stewart. He leads the team in receptions for the fourth straight week. Ward inflicts a crushing block on the Steelers' third-down attempt at the end of the game to clinch the win.	W 20-17
10/21/01	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Ward ties for team lead with three receptions for 44 yards. He also has one run for nine yards out of the shotgun formation from the quarterback position.	W 17-10
10/29/01	Vs. Tennessee Titans	Ward throws his first pass of the season (incomplete to Plaxico Burress). He has two receptions for 20 yards and a TD on a three-yard pass from Kordell Stewart. Ward takes a direct snap from the shotgun formation and gains 36 yards on his only carry of the game.	W 34-7
11/4/01	Vs. Baltimore Ravens	Ward ties his then career high with nine receptions for a then career-high 97 yards. Steelers lose with kicker Kris Brown missing four field goals. Ward levels a hit on former Steeler Rod Woodson, giving Woodson a bloody nose. Woodson calls Ward "a dirty player". Ward responds "I'm not a dirty player, my blocks are clean and I don't care if you [Woodson] don't like it." Ward is later fined $10,000 by the NFL for taunting Woodson during a play in which Ward is penalized.	L 10-13
11/11/01	@ Cleveland Browns	Ward has eight receptions for 55 yards, including a long of 15 yards. He is also sacked by Jamir Miller for three yards.	W 15-12 in OT
11/18/01	Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	For the first time in his career, Ward records his first 100-yard receiving with nine receptions for 112 yards, including a 28-yard TD on a screen pass from Kordell Stewart.	W 20-7
11/25/01	@ Tennessee Titans	Seven receptions for 99 yards, missing by one yard his second consecutive 100-yard game. He also establishes a new career high for receiving yardage in a season with 66 catches for 694 yards.	W 34-24
12/2/01	Vs. Minnesota Vikings	Three receptions for 37 yards, including a long of 19.	W 21-16
12/9/01	Vs. New York Jets	Having lost Jerome Bettis in the previous week's game to a groin injury, Ward steps up and has his second 100-yard game of the season. Ward records his then single-game career highs with 10 receptions and 124 receiving yards. He also runs three times for 14 yards and accounts for four third-down conversions (three on receptions and one running). In just his 4^th year, Ward moves into 12th on the Steelers all-time receptions list with 203 career receptions.	W 18-7
12/16/01	@ Baltimore Ravens	Throughout the game, Ward was double teamed, probably due to his 9 receptions in the previous matchup on November 4 and was held to his lowest reception total of the season with just one catch for seven yards. He also ran once for six yards. Steelers win, clinching the last AFC Division playoff spot. For the first time since 1997 the Steelers will head to the playoffs.	W 26-21
12/23/01	Vs. Detroit Lions	Ward has seven receptions (season total of 87) for 67 yards and one TD to eclipse Yancey Thigpen's Steelers' single-season receptions record of 85.	W 47-14
12/30/01	@ Cincinnati Bengals	Ward catches three passes for 42 yards with a long of 30 and also runs once off a direct snap for 14 yards. Ward also makes a tackle on Artrell Hawkins who intercepted Kordell Stewart.	L 23-26 in OT
1/6/02	Vs. Cleveland Browns	In the last regular season game, Ward has four catches for 30 yards.	W 28-7
AFC Divisional Playoff Game 1/20/02	Vs. Baltimore Ravens	In the first ever playoff game at Heinz Field, Ward gets three passes for 37 yards. He also had six rushing yards on a carry. Ward makes recoveries on the Baltimore 29 and the Pittsburgh 46 on forced fumbles by Ray Lewis. The Steelers hold Baltimore's offense to under 150 total yards and 20 minutes of possession and win it 27-10.	W 27-10
AFC Championship Game 1/27/02	Vs. New England Patriots	Ward has another solid performance leading the team with six receptions for 64 yards, including a long of 24. Falling short, the Steelers lose 17-24.	L 17-24
RECAP		In this breakout season, Ward eclipses the 1,000 yard mark, joining Plaxico Burress as the only receiving tandem in team history to both surpass 1,000 receiving yards for a season. Ward also led the team with a career-high 94 receptions, which set a Steelers single-season record (85, Yancey Thigpen in 1995). Ward also makes his first Pro Bowl appearance. Ward is widely praised as being the NFL's best blocking receiver.	13-3 Season