Ware another dominant 94 for Dallas Cowboys
Jean-Jacques Taylor
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
IRVING – Mike McCord, the Cowboys' equipment manager the last 13 years, assigns numbers to free agents, rookies and new players.
McCord wants you to believe it's pure coincidence that DeMarcus Ware received No. 94,the same number as Charles Haley, the Cowboys' last dominant pass rusher.
He wants you to ignore the fact Ware and Haley play the same position, had similar heights and weights and skill sets.
Poppycock.
"It was the only number we had in the 90s left," McCord said recently after yet another Dallas Cowboys win.
"I wouldn't put that kind of pressure on a kid."
Trust me, it wouldn't have mattered.
When you have the type of athletic ability and work ethic Ware possesses, nothing but injury can prevent success. Ware made the first of what should be many Pro Bowls last season.
These days, any legitimate conversation about NFL Defensive Player of the Year should include Ware, who has 66 tackles and 10 sacks. You should know, though, his impact is far greater than whatever statistics he tallies.
Offensive coordinators miss putting their kids to bed trying to figure out how to stop Ware from destroying their blocking schemes and disrupting their attack. Quarterbacks look for him as they approach the line of scrimmage every play to see whether he's at linebacker or defensive end and whether he's on the right side or the left side
And, for the record, Ware's as comfortable in coverage as he is rushing the passer.
For that, he credits Bill Parcells, who forced him to cover – some would say too much – running backs, linebackers and, at times, receivers his first two seasons. Parcells wanted complete players.
But Wade Phillips has turned him loose as a pass rusher because he wants to put his best players in position to make big plays.
Two plays from the Cowboys' 37-27 win over Green Bay last week show why Ware is the NFL's most complete linebacker.
In the second quarter, he lined up at right outside linebacker and raced diagonally across the field to deflect a pass 15 yards downfield. In the fourth quarter, he made the play of the game.
Having scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to pull within a field goal, Green Bay faced a third-and-6 from the Dallas 40 with 12:27 left in the fourth quarter.
At the snap, Ware burst from his stance and beat left tackle Chad Clifton to the corner. Then, he dipped his shoulders low enough to win a limbo contest, zoomed past Clifton and sacked Aaron Rodgers before he could react.
Game over.
"After the play, I told Bradie [James] somebody had to do it," Ware said with a laugh Monday afternoon. "Everyone has to contribute to the team, but there are some people you count on to make big plays in certain situations – and I'm one of them."
No doubt.
Ware, who has 29.5 sacks in his first 44 games, said he knew the Cowboys expected him to be a special player – and not just because he was taken with the 11th pick of the first round.
He figured expectations were high when he received No. 94. He didn't need to read a Wikipedia entry on Haley.
"I knew exactly who he was," Ware said. "I knew I had some big shoes to fill."
But he didn't succumb to expectations. Instead, he embraced the pressure and reached out for as much knowledge as he could from the former defensive end, who played a key role on five Super Bowl teams.
Ware has forged a relationship with Haley. They talk frequently, and Haley recently showed Ware a few hand techniques to help him in tight quarters.
It helps that they're similar players.
Haley could beat tackles with a speed rush to the outside. So can Ware.
Haley could beat tackles with a bull-rush because he had enough upper-body strength to deliver a blow that would knock the tackle off balance, enabling him to set up another move to attack the quarterback. So can Ware.
Or Haley could use his long arms to create an advantage because he could keep offensive linemen off him with his reach. So can Ware.
More important, Haley was a relentless pass rusher who never took a play off. The score or the quarter doesn't matter.
Ware is the same way.
That's why the comparisons to San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman, selected one pick behind Ware in the 2005 draft, have ended. No longer do questions exist about who's the better player.
"It's nice when you're compared to other good players," said Ware, "but everyone wants to have their own identity and be known for their own techniques and their own style. Hopefully, that will happen as I continue to come into my own."
It already has.
Ware has earned the right to wear No. 94, even if it was happenstance.
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
IRVING – Mike McCord, the Cowboys' equipment manager the last 13 years, assigns numbers to free agents, rookies and new players.
McCord wants you to believe it's pure coincidence that DeMarcus Ware received No. 94,the same number as Charles Haley, the Cowboys' last dominant pass rusher.
He wants you to ignore the fact Ware and Haley play the same position, had similar heights and weights and skill sets.
Poppycock.
"It was the only number we had in the 90s left," McCord said recently after yet another Dallas Cowboys win.
"I wouldn't put that kind of pressure on a kid."
Trust me, it wouldn't have mattered.
When you have the type of athletic ability and work ethic Ware possesses, nothing but injury can prevent success. Ware made the first of what should be many Pro Bowls last season.
These days, any legitimate conversation about NFL Defensive Player of the Year should include Ware, who has 66 tackles and 10 sacks. You should know, though, his impact is far greater than whatever statistics he tallies.
Offensive coordinators miss putting their kids to bed trying to figure out how to stop Ware from destroying their blocking schemes and disrupting their attack. Quarterbacks look for him as they approach the line of scrimmage every play to see whether he's at linebacker or defensive end and whether he's on the right side or the left side
And, for the record, Ware's as comfortable in coverage as he is rushing the passer.
For that, he credits Bill Parcells, who forced him to cover – some would say too much – running backs, linebackers and, at times, receivers his first two seasons. Parcells wanted complete players.
But Wade Phillips has turned him loose as a pass rusher because he wants to put his best players in position to make big plays.
Two plays from the Cowboys' 37-27 win over Green Bay last week show why Ware is the NFL's most complete linebacker.
In the second quarter, he lined up at right outside linebacker and raced diagonally across the field to deflect a pass 15 yards downfield. In the fourth quarter, he made the play of the game.
Having scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to pull within a field goal, Green Bay faced a third-and-6 from the Dallas 40 with 12:27 left in the fourth quarter.
At the snap, Ware burst from his stance and beat left tackle Chad Clifton to the corner. Then, he dipped his shoulders low enough to win a limbo contest, zoomed past Clifton and sacked Aaron Rodgers before he could react.
Game over.
"After the play, I told Bradie [James] somebody had to do it," Ware said with a laugh Monday afternoon. "Everyone has to contribute to the team, but there are some people you count on to make big plays in certain situations – and I'm one of them."
No doubt.
Ware, who has 29.5 sacks in his first 44 games, said he knew the Cowboys expected him to be a special player – and not just because he was taken with the 11th pick of the first round.
He figured expectations were high when he received No. 94. He didn't need to read a Wikipedia entry on Haley.
"I knew exactly who he was," Ware said. "I knew I had some big shoes to fill."
But he didn't succumb to expectations. Instead, he embraced the pressure and reached out for as much knowledge as he could from the former defensive end, who played a key role on five Super Bowl teams.
Ware has forged a relationship with Haley. They talk frequently, and Haley recently showed Ware a few hand techniques to help him in tight quarters.
It helps that they're similar players.
Haley could beat tackles with a speed rush to the outside. So can Ware.
Haley could beat tackles with a bull-rush because he had enough upper-body strength to deliver a blow that would knock the tackle off balance, enabling him to set up another move to attack the quarterback. So can Ware.
Or Haley could use his long arms to create an advantage because he could keep offensive linemen off him with his reach. So can Ware.
More important, Haley was a relentless pass rusher who never took a play off. The score or the quarter doesn't matter.
Ware is the same way.
That's why the comparisons to San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman, selected one pick behind Ware in the 2005 draft, have ended. No longer do questions exist about who's the better player.
"It's nice when you're compared to other good players," said Ware, "but everyone wants to have their own identity and be known for their own techniques and their own style. Hopefully, that will happen as I continue to come into my own."
It already has.
Ware has earned the right to wear No. 94, even if it was happenstance.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:20 PM
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