Instead, they are Ward's statistics for the first three games of a so-far disappointing season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's obvious Ward hasn't been himself, playing with a sore hamstring that he injured in training camp and is not yet healed.

Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, is resigned to playing with the injury for the rest of the season. The only cure, he said, would be six months of inactivity.

``It just chooses (to hurt) when it wants to,'' Ward said Wednesday. ``I can't pinpoint it. If I could, I wouldn't do it. But when you're running full speed, you feel it. Then it goes away. It's hard to get back to 100 per cent when you're running all the time.''

Ward was hurt during the first week of August and missed the rest of training camp, but the injury has lingered far longer than he expected.

``I don't know what's wrong with it,'' he said. ``It's aggravating. There's still some scar tissue in there. I don't feel hindered by the hamstring, but every now and then on certain routes that I run I may feel it.''

Ward realizes he can't afford to take a game or two off to give the hamstring some needed rest, not with the Steelers (1-2) already down 2{ games to Baltimore (4-0) in the AFC North standings. The Steelers face another difficult game Sunday night at San Diego (1-2), which is allowing a league-low 184.3 yards per game.

The Steelers' passing game has been slowed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's medical problems and an uncommon number of dropped passes. Ward said there must be improvement immediately in the NFL's fifth-worst passing offence.

``We need to start taking steps to get better week in and week out,'' Ward said. ``We need to start getting better and improving and playing with a lot more intensity.''

A schedule that already has included two uncommonly long breaks isn't helping the Steelers develop any continuity in their passing game. They play for the first time in 14 days Sunday _ they had an 11-day break after their first game _ then must fly home from the West Coast overnight to get ready for Kansas City the following Sunday.

``Next week, they'll probably have us playing in Hawaii,'' defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Ward doesn't worry about the schedule as much as he does regaining the rhythm in the passing game the Steelers had while winning three consecutive road games in the AFC playoffs last season.

``Teams have been doing a lot to stop Hines, doubling and tripling him,'' Roethlisberger said. ``They're running guys underneath to where he's going to be. But Hines is one of the best receivers in the game. He'll find ways to get open and I'll get him the ball.''

Roethlisberger and Ward agree on that, saying there were enough positive signs in the 28-20 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 24 to suggest the passing game is coming around.

``We're really close to clicking,'``' Roethlisberger said. ``When we do start clicking and those wheels start turning together, I think we can be pretty good and pretty dangerous.''

Ward's drop-off has been more noticeable because he has consistently been one of the NFL's most reliable receivers. Last year, he had four touchdown catches by now; in both 2003 and 2004, he had 22 catches through three games.

Roethlisberger also has played far below the level of his first two seasons _ he has no touchdown passes and five interceptions in two starts. And Ward isn't the only receiver who isn't producing.

The only player with as many as 10 catches is third-down running back Verron Haynes, who has 10 for 59 yards. Cedrick Wilson, the other starting receiver, has been limited to four catches for 85 yards.

Santonio Holmes, the first-round draft pick from Ohio State, has been unable to play his way into the lineup or make much of a contribution when he's been on the field. He has five catches for 51 yards.

``It's hard for a rookie,'' Ward said. ``There's a lot of thinking, when you're doing a lot of thinking you're not running as fast. It's an adjustment. There's been only one rookie to come in and dominate the game, Randy Moss with 17 touchdowns. Most rookies come in, and it's a learning curve.''