BroncoBuff
10-13-2008, 10:15 AM
Somebody might have posted this, but I DIDN'T SEE IT! :moody:
Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware has shot at NFL record
By MAC ENGELtengel@star-telegram.com
IRVING — DeMarcus Ware wasn’t quite 6 when the classic sports film Bull Durham was released, so forgive him if he might not know some of the more immortal lines from the movie.
But there is one particular line from the central character, Crash Davis, that Ware unknowingly follows: "I told him that a player on a streak has to respect the streak. ... You know why? Because they don’t — they don’t happen very often."
There are some R-rated words omitted from that line, but the point is true, with or without a few expletives. And, right now, Ware is in the middle of a streak, and the last thing he wants to do is talk about it. If he talks about it, then his streak might very well end. (To be fair, Ware doesn’t much care to talk to the media anyway, so maybe it was a convenient excuse to avoid this one, too.)
Dating to last season, Ware has registered a sack in seven consecutive games. Not since the days of George Andrie in the 1960s and Harvey Martin in the 1970s has a Cowboy put together a better streak. Not even Charles Haley put together the run Ware is on.
Despite the awareness by opposing defensive coaches and coordinators of Ware, and the near constant double-teaming he faces, he has a shot at the NFL record.
The NFL didn’t officially chart sacks until 1982, so anything before then doesn’t qualify. The NFL record for consecutive games with a sack is 10 set in 1992-93, but the Cowboys’ record is Martin’s 11 in 1976-77.
Since Ware isn’t talking, others will talk for him.
The league mark was set by Denver’s Simon Fletcher in 1992-93. Perhaps it’s a large coincidence that Ware and Fletcher played the same position, and for the same coach.
"Simon was a good pass rusher, but not as fast, not as agile, not as a lot of things that many people I’ve ever coached have," said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, a Broncos assistant and then head coach in ’92-93.
With the immobile quarterbacks Ware is set to face over the next three weeks, he could very well at least catch Fletcher. Over the next three weeks, Ware is scheduled to see Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams. Those three rank among the "leaders" in being sacked.
"He works at it. I think you’ll find most guys that get a lot of sacks find a way to do it," Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said of Ware. "They’re going to work at it and find some way to get to the quarterback. I don’t know if it’s the streak, but it’s important for him to get to the quarterback."
This streak is another star to a growing reputation that has Ware being called the most complete linebacker in the game today.
There was a time when Ware was called the second-best, behind fellow 2005 draft pick Shawne Merriman. But with Merriman lost for the season to a knee injury, it’s not a stretch to suggest the top player from that entire draft has turned out to be Ware.
"He’s bigger, faster, stronger than any guy I’ve coached," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "I was in the 3-4 [defense] with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene and later in the 4-3 [defense] with Peter Boulware. I’ve been fortunate to be around some great outside rushers. He has that and more. He’s a tremendous athlete."
A tremendous athlete in the pursuit of a tremendous record who, even if he hasn’t seen Bull Durham, knows the last thing you do during a streak is talk about it. As Crash Davis said, streaks don’t come around very often.
Dallas Cowboys’ record sack streak (the sack didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1982)
Gms Player Year(s)
11 - Harvey Martin 1976-77
9 - Harvey Martin 1977
8 - George Andrie 1966-67
7 - DeMarcus Ware 2007-08
NFL record for consecutive games with a sack (the sack didn’t become an official statistic until 1982).
Gms Player, team Years
10 - Simon Fletcher, Broncos 1992-93
9 - Bruce Smith, Bills 1986–87
9 - Kevin Greene, 49ers/Panthers 1997-98
8 - many players
Mac Engel, 817-390-7760
Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware has shot at NFL record
By MAC ENGELtengel@star-telegram.com
IRVING — DeMarcus Ware wasn’t quite 6 when the classic sports film Bull Durham was released, so forgive him if he might not know some of the more immortal lines from the movie.
But there is one particular line from the central character, Crash Davis, that Ware unknowingly follows: "I told him that a player on a streak has to respect the streak. ... You know why? Because they don’t — they don’t happen very often."
There are some R-rated words omitted from that line, but the point is true, with or without a few expletives. And, right now, Ware is in the middle of a streak, and the last thing he wants to do is talk about it. If he talks about it, then his streak might very well end. (To be fair, Ware doesn’t much care to talk to the media anyway, so maybe it was a convenient excuse to avoid this one, too.)
Dating to last season, Ware has registered a sack in seven consecutive games. Not since the days of George Andrie in the 1960s and Harvey Martin in the 1970s has a Cowboy put together a better streak. Not even Charles Haley put together the run Ware is on.
Despite the awareness by opposing defensive coaches and coordinators of Ware, and the near constant double-teaming he faces, he has a shot at the NFL record.
The NFL didn’t officially chart sacks until 1982, so anything before then doesn’t qualify. The NFL record for consecutive games with a sack is 10 set in 1992-93, but the Cowboys’ record is Martin’s 11 in 1976-77.
Since Ware isn’t talking, others will talk for him.
The league mark was set by Denver’s Simon Fletcher in 1992-93. Perhaps it’s a large coincidence that Ware and Fletcher played the same position, and for the same coach.
"Simon was a good pass rusher, but not as fast, not as agile, not as a lot of things that many people I’ve ever coached have," said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, a Broncos assistant and then head coach in ’92-93.
With the immobile quarterbacks Ware is set to face over the next three weeks, he could very well at least catch Fletcher. Over the next three weeks, Ware is scheduled to see Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and Marc Bulger of the St. Louis Rams. Those three rank among the "leaders" in being sacked.
"He works at it. I think you’ll find most guys that get a lot of sacks find a way to do it," Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart said of Ware. "They’re going to work at it and find some way to get to the quarterback. I don’t know if it’s the streak, but it’s important for him to get to the quarterback."
This streak is another star to a growing reputation that has Ware being called the most complete linebacker in the game today.
There was a time when Ware was called the second-best, behind fellow 2005 draft pick Shawne Merriman. But with Merriman lost for the season to a knee injury, it’s not a stretch to suggest the top player from that entire draft has turned out to be Ware.
"He’s bigger, faster, stronger than any guy I’ve coached," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "I was in the 3-4 [defense] with Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene and later in the 4-3 [defense] with Peter Boulware. I’ve been fortunate to be around some great outside rushers. He has that and more. He’s a tremendous athlete."
A tremendous athlete in the pursuit of a tremendous record who, even if he hasn’t seen Bull Durham, knows the last thing you do during a streak is talk about it. As Crash Davis said, streaks don’t come around very often.
Dallas Cowboys’ record sack streak (the sack didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1982)
Gms Player Year(s)
11 - Harvey Martin 1976-77
9 - Harvey Martin 1977
8 - George Andrie 1966-67
7 - DeMarcus Ware 2007-08
NFL record for consecutive games with a sack (the sack didn’t become an official statistic until 1982).
Gms Player, team Years
10 - Simon Fletcher, Broncos 1992-93
9 - Bruce Smith, Bills 1986–87
9 - Kevin Greene, 49ers/Panthers 1997-98
8 - many players
Mac Engel, 817-390-7760