Post by prossman on Dec 20, 2008 7:17:10 GMT -7
MySA.COM: Orsborn: Ware may already be among legends
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ware may already be among legends
Tom Orsborn - Express-News
IRVING — With a farewell ceremony featuring 100 former players and coaches set to start immediately after tonight's game, Texas Stadium will be crawling with some of the franchise's most famous names.
Lilly, Staubach and Dorsett. Aikman, Smith and Irvin. They're all expected to be on hand to say goodbye to the Cowboys' longtime home.
But Dallas defensive end Chris Canty says fans won't have to wait until after the game to lay their eyes on a legend.
Not with DeMarcus Ware lining up at weakside linebacker in Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme.
“He's the kind of guy,” Canty said of Ware, “you are going to tell your kids about.”
For the past month, teammates have been touting Ware as the top candidate for the league's defensive player of the year award. But with Dallas winning four of its past five games to surge into the thick of the playoff hunt, isn't it time they start lobbying for him to win another honor?
Without the drama and headline grabs of many of his more-celebrated teammates, Ware is quietly enjoying an MVP-caliber season. After dropping the Giants' Eli Manning three times last week, Ware has a league-high 19 sacks, meaning he needs just four in two games to surpass Michael Strahan's single-season record of 221/2, set in 2001.
Since the NFL began keeping sacks as an official statistic in 1982, only six players have notched 20 or more in a season: Chris Doleman, Mark Gastineau, Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White and Strahan.
Ware declined this week to discuss his pursuit of the record, saying he'll talk about it when he gets it. And, no, that wasn't meant as a guarantee. It was simply a matter-of-fact way of saying he's confident.
“I never count,” Ware said. “I think about just really being consistent out there. I thought about it at the beginning of the season, just being consistent every game, getting pressure. That's what I do.”
Remarkably well, I might add. He's had at least one sack in every game but one and has recorded three in three games, including twice in the past three contests.
Keeping up that pace, though, could be difficult. Massive Baltimore left tackle Jared Gaither (6-foot-9, 330 pounds) has given up only two sacks all season, according to Stats Inc., and he shut out Pittsburgh's James Harrison last week.
“He's going to draw a lot of double teams, a lot of chips and all that stuff,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said of Ware. “But he continues to come through. ... I think it's outstanding he's even threatening the record.”
But the really amazing thing about Ware is that he's so much more than just a pass rusher.
“I haven't seen one thing he can't do yet on the field,” defensive end Marcus Spears said. “When I saw him cover (San Francisco running back Frank) Gore out of the backfield, for me that was like, OK, this cat is on another level. He ran step-for-step with him.
“He's amazing. There's nothing he can't do. He can probably play strong safety. I'm not exaggerating. He's a 4.4, 4.5 guy. And he just totally manhandles people trying to block him. He's just a different cat.”
In other words, a legend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ware may already be among legends
Tom Orsborn - Express-News
IRVING — With a farewell ceremony featuring 100 former players and coaches set to start immediately after tonight's game, Texas Stadium will be crawling with some of the franchise's most famous names.
Lilly, Staubach and Dorsett. Aikman, Smith and Irvin. They're all expected to be on hand to say goodbye to the Cowboys' longtime home.
But Dallas defensive end Chris Canty says fans won't have to wait until after the game to lay their eyes on a legend.
Not with DeMarcus Ware lining up at weakside linebacker in Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme.
“He's the kind of guy,” Canty said of Ware, “you are going to tell your kids about.”
For the past month, teammates have been touting Ware as the top candidate for the league's defensive player of the year award. But with Dallas winning four of its past five games to surge into the thick of the playoff hunt, isn't it time they start lobbying for him to win another honor?
Without the drama and headline grabs of many of his more-celebrated teammates, Ware is quietly enjoying an MVP-caliber season. After dropping the Giants' Eli Manning three times last week, Ware has a league-high 19 sacks, meaning he needs just four in two games to surpass Michael Strahan's single-season record of 221/2, set in 2001.
Since the NFL began keeping sacks as an official statistic in 1982, only six players have notched 20 or more in a season: Chris Doleman, Mark Gastineau, Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White and Strahan.
Ware declined this week to discuss his pursuit of the record, saying he'll talk about it when he gets it. And, no, that wasn't meant as a guarantee. It was simply a matter-of-fact way of saying he's confident.
“I never count,” Ware said. “I think about just really being consistent out there. I thought about it at the beginning of the season, just being consistent every game, getting pressure. That's what I do.”
Remarkably well, I might add. He's had at least one sack in every game but one and has recorded three in three games, including twice in the past three contests.
Keeping up that pace, though, could be difficult. Massive Baltimore left tackle Jared Gaither (6-foot-9, 330 pounds) has given up only two sacks all season, according to Stats Inc., and he shut out Pittsburgh's James Harrison last week.
“He's going to draw a lot of double teams, a lot of chips and all that stuff,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said of Ware. “But he continues to come through. ... I think it's outstanding he's even threatening the record.”
But the really amazing thing about Ware is that he's so much more than just a pass rusher.
“I haven't seen one thing he can't do yet on the field,” defensive end Marcus Spears said. “When I saw him cover (San Francisco running back Frank) Gore out of the backfield, for me that was like, OK, this cat is on another level. He ran step-for-step with him.
“He's amazing. There's nothing he can't do. He can probably play strong safety. I'm not exaggerating. He's a 4.4, 4.5 guy. And he just totally manhandles people trying to block him. He's just a different cat.”
In other words, a legend.