"Hines Ward has seen his role in the Steelers offense diminish over the course of this season, but the 14-year veteran once again took center stage Sunday.

Ward led the team with five catches totaling 30 yards in the win against Cincinnati. His second reception put him at 12,008 yards for his career. He is the first Steelers receiver to reach the mark and just the 19th player in NFL history.

The catch that put him over 12,000 was, fittingly, a 12-yard pass over the middle. It's the kind of route that has defined Ward's time with the Steelers.

" Mike [ Wallace ] was teasing me on the sidelines, saying 'Not bad for a lot of option routes and choice routes,'" Ward said. "That's a lot of passes, considering I don't really go deep all the time.""