National Football League

Cromartie takes jab at Steelers' Ward

Published Jan. 21, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

A week after calling out Tom Brady, New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie is riled up about Pittsburgh's Hines Ward.

During an interview Friday on SportsNet New York, Cromartie says the Steelers wide receiver is not ''man enough to hit you when you're looking at him.'' Ward is widely considered one of the league's most aggressive receivers, with some opponents calling him dirty.

Cromartie says he doesn't consider Ward dirty, but ''I know for a fact that he will hit you while you're not looking.''

The comments come a week after Cromartie stirred things up when he called Brady an expletive leading up to the Jets' 28-21 playoff win at New England.

The Jets (13-5) and Steelers (13-4) play in the AFC championship Sunday night.