MIAMI — Tick off the consensus best wide receivers in the NFL, all those one-game or one-name sounding guys: Terrell, Randy, Marvin, Chad, Steve Smith.

An indication that today's consideration of "best" is often figured in fantasy league draft order is that such lists rarely include Pittsburgh's Hines Ward. All he does is, well, most of the things you want receivers to do.

Like Steelers Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth (for their first four seasons), Ward snags balls for Steelers teams that don't put the ball in the air much.

Since a 15-catch rookie season, Ward has averaged 79.9 catches per season and led the Steelers in receptions six of seven seasons. This year's 14.1 yards per catch is his best since 2000.

"I think we're only passing 19, 20 times a game. If you look at it statistically, we don't put up big numbers," Ward said of the current Steelers receivers. "But, you look at our yards per catch and we're right up there with the best in the league. We all bring a different flavor.

"Antwaan Randle El, he's a threat," Ward continued. "Every time he touches the ball, he can make something positive happen. Cedrick Wilson, he's done a great job. We may not be fast or look tall or have this attitude about us, but we're productive when we get our opportunity."

The Steelers led the league in rushing attempts for the second consecutive season. But Ward has a point about the yards per catch because he, Randle El and Wilson average an impressive 15.2 yards per catch.

Randle El said with a big grin, "We're very diverse. We just don't do it often enough."

Ward would be the Stallworth of the group — the possession receiver who can occasionally produce the timely big play in the passing game and block to produce the timely big play in the running game.

When it comes to blocking, Ward's enthusiasm for the project is famous. Or, infamous, to those defensive backs not keen on contact.

"One thing you know is when you cover him, you're going to have to make a lot of tackles," said Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, who knew Ward when they were at the University of Georgia, "because he's going to be collecting the linebackers and the safeties, and the corner is supposed to feed off of those.

"So, if you're not an attacking corner, you just don't line up on his side because he definitely is involved in the running game as much as the pass game."

He's considered the NFL's best blocking wide receiver, an interesting transition for someone who was a quarterback and tailback at Georgia. A Sports Illustrated player poll also ranked him as one of the NFL's dirtiest players.

Surely, nobody else on that list goes through a game with the perma-grin that projects Ward's happiness with life and the game. That joy drew Ward into this year's training camp after a two-week holdout for a contract extension. He was coming off seasons of 94, 112, 95 and 80 catches, each of which saw him pass 1,000 receiving yards.

Days before the season opener, Ward got a four-year extension worth a reported $25.8 million.

"You only get a small window of opportunity to maximize as much money as you can, so me playing for Pittsburgh, a predominantly run-oriented team, I just felt my value at that time, what I brought to the table four straight years ... I wanted to be compensated for it amongst my peers in the league," Ward said.

Now, he is. And, unlike so many of those other peers, he's a big reason his team is still playing.