Steelers recover from Hines Ward flag

Officials send early message, Steelers recover from Hines Ward flag

The Ravens and Steelers made no secret this week that they were planning a tough, hard-fought game. And the officials made no secret that they weren’t going to tolerate any players who crossed the line.

So when Steelers receiver Hines Ward took Ravens safety Ed Reed to the ground during the Steelers’ first possession today, the officials took advantage of an early opportunity to send a message, and they flagged Ward for a personal foul.

The play easily could have resulted in offsetting penalties against both Ward and Reed, but they apparently decided to flag Ward as the instigator.

Despite Ward’s penalty pushing them deep into their own territory, the Steelers’ offense responded with a methodical 10-play, 80-yard drive (including a 37-yard pass interference penalty) that ended with a Rashard Mendenhall one-yard touchdown run to give Pittsburgh a 7-0 lead.

UPDATE: The Ravens, benefiting from another big pass interference penalty, drove down the field on the next drive and tied the game 7-7.