Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace remembers the 2009 NFL Draft every time he faces the Cleveland Browns. Wallace, who was drafted in the third round, was passed on by the Browns in favor of Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. "I take it real personal every time I go out there on the field," Wallace said on a conference call with the Cleveland media. "I just try to make everybody pay for looking over me. ...I guess I just didn't really get much hype coming into the draft." Wallace is happy playing for the Steelers. "I?m playing for the best team in America," Wallace said proudly. "I'm playing in the best organization, a real loyal organization where things are ran real smooth over here. I wouldn't trade it for any team."

Hines Ward may enter the Hall of Fame as a wide receiver after he retires, but says he'd love to play some defense for the Steelers. "I keep lobbying Coach (Dick) LeBeau to let me get in the game and blitz a little bit. I've always had that defensive mentality playing offense," he said.

The NFL has confirmed a report that Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall's rushing total from last Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Jets has been reduced from 100 yards to 99. The league didn't clarify why the change was made, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin conceded Tuesday that the team was mistakenly awarded a first down on a 9-yard, second-quarter run by Mendenhall.

Hines Ward has witnessed a change in the character of teammate Ben Roethlisberger. Ward described Roethlisberger as ?just a better person? since his return to the team following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL?s personal conduct policy. ?Just doing the little things, you know,? Ward said. ?Not just hanging out with certain players on a team. I mean, the captain, quarterback. You sit with the scout team guys. I mean, you ? can?t be cliquish. ?Before, back then, he was very probably cliquish, only hung out with certain guys and a lot of guys probably took that and kind of rubbed them the wrong way a little bit. But now, I mean, he?s playing basketball with offensive linemen, defensive linemen, linebackers, anybody. He?s starting to have fun.?

The Steelers were mistakenly awarded a first down on a nine-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall during their 22-17 loss to the Jets on Sunday. On first-and-10 from New York's 35 early in the second quarter, Mendenhall gained nine yards to the 26-yard line. After momentary confusion as the chain crew began moving the sticks, referee Peter Morelli's crew put the ball down at the 25 and signaled a first down. The extra yard gave Mendenhall a 100-yard game and Pittsburgh scored a touchdown on the drive.

The Steelers expect to have Troy Polamalu in the playoffs despite an injured Achilles tendon. He could be rested for the remainder of the regular season, unless the Steelers need to win one of their final games to wrap up the division title, according to a team official. Polamalu has been bothered with his ankle injury for weeks and was unable to practice this week.

Santonio Holmes expects to receive a very positive homecoming when he returns to Pittsburgh this weekend. The Steelers traded Holmes to the Jets last April. He promised to score on a punt return against his former team. "Those guys know if they give me an opportunity, trust me, I'm going to take advantage of it," Holmes said. "If they give me a crease, I'm going to take it to the house. "Is that what you want to hear? Feed that to those guys [in Pittsburgh]. Those guys already know. If they give me an opportunity, they know that's going to happen." Holmes was traded after a series of off-field issues. "I'm pretty sure they're going to give me a standing O when I get on the field," Holmes said. "Or they may boo me because I'm on another team, but I'm pretty sure if you look into the stands, you'll see a lot of No. 10 jerseys with 'Holmes' on the back."

James Harrison and several Steelers players are upset over a false-start penalty against Ravens guard Chris Chester on an extra point Sunday night that they believe was a deliberate attempt to hurt him. "Of course it was deliberate," Harrison said. "There's no way that happens on an extra point because [offensive linemen] don't shoot out. It's obvious it was blatant. It was on purpose." "I think it was a designed play," said defensive end Brett Keisel, who is on the extra-point defense. "He just took off and kept driving him. I do think it was intentional."

A doctor told Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that his broken nose looked like corn flakes earlier this week. Roethlisberger suffered the injury in the first quarter of Pittsburgh's win over Baltimore on Sunday night. He didn't miss a play and plans to face the Bengals this coming weekend.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will face a protective shield on Sunday to protect his broken nose. The apparatus will be a clear plastic shield to cover his face and protect his nose, which was repaired surgically Monday. He'll also wear an oversized right shoe that contains two metal plates and a whole lot of tape wrapped around it to protect his broken foot.