"Jerricho Cotchery does a lot of things well, but exercising patience isn't among them.

The veteran wide receiver spent the first half of this season waiting and watching from the sidelines. A tender hamstring limited his playing time, thus disrupting his transition into an evolving Steelers offense.

It's not what Cotchery imagined when he signed a free-agent deal with the Steelers only days after Plaxico Burress opted to return to New York instead of Pittsburgh. Realistically, Cotchery accepted the role of trotter opposite the Steelers' thoroughbreds — Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

Cotchery appears to have hit his stride just in time as the Steelers (11-4) prepare for their regular-season finale in Cleveland on Sunday - a must-win game to keep their AFC North title hopes alive.

"Initially, I saw all the weapons here which made me think a little bit," Cotchery said. "Once I came for my visit, I realized it's a special place.

"I looked in the mirror and asked, 'What do I see?' I looked like a Steeler. I felt like this was the place to be."

Cotchery envisioned himself as someone quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could lean on, particularly in the red zone. After all, that's where he excelled during his seven-year tenure with the New York Jets. He was a magician in cleats, snaring almost everything within or out of his reach.

"I had the hamstring injury early in the season, so no one was able to see me in action," Cotchery said. "The only time they saw me was in preseason.

"I feel like over course of time, the staff and everybody sees what I have to offer. I had to come in and do my part."

Taking advantage of an injury to Sanders, Cotchery worked himself into the rotation."