by Ryan Bush
The prediction came so easily. Too easily.
And, sadly, without very much thought.
It was the first Sunday of the 2009 NFL season, and
predictions were being spewed forth from the mouths of Dallas Cowboys fans
almost verbatim. You know the scene
well. Everyone has Tony Romo passing for
5,200 yards and 55 touchdowns, and the Cowboys finish the year with 32 Pro
Bowlers. Oh, and of course a ho-hum
trouncing of New England in the Super
Bowl. Why not? I believe they call this unity in diversity.
Well, this diversely unified scene came to a surprising bump
in the road when one fan, anxious to leave an impression on the group, promised
that Cowboys linebacker Demarcus Ware would finish the year with 26 sacks, as
in three-and-a-half more than Michael Strahan’s all-time leading mark of
22.5. 26?!?! For real?!?!
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| Michael Strahan in action |
Even for the hyperbolic ones who were dealing with the
stimulating effects of a caffeine rush, this forecast came across as slightly
overcooked. Yes, Ware was coming off a
league-leading 20-sack campaign in 2008, but off-season events, if anything,
indicated a drop in production from Dallas’
All-Pro linebacker. Fellow outside
linebacker Greg Ellis, along with pass-rushing defensive end Chris Canty, had
departed in free-agency, leaving Ware as the only definite threat for opposing
defenses to stop.
In the end, Ware provided his lowest sack total since his
rookie season, finishing the 2009 season with 11. Maybe this fan should have waited a few more
years before making such a bold prediction, when the right pieces were coming
together rather than falling apart. Yes,
there’s reason to hope for a special year from Ware’s corner of the world in
2012. Not necessarily 26-sack special,
but memorable nevertheless.
With as many circumstances working against him as there was,
last season’s 19.5-sack campaign may have been the finest of Ware’s seven-year
career. On a defense that made Valley
Ranch out to be the team’s headquarters of miscommunication, Ware ‘s
proficiency with surrounding deficiencies and a nagging neck injury is a
testament to his skill and never-ending motor.
Even with that said, Ware made it seem like there was plenty more left
on the table in 2011. Which, in
hindsight, there probably was.
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| Let's hope we see more of this Wednesday Night! |
For even the most skilled at quarterback takedowns, the art
of producing sacks is a business of three dimensions, those being individual
pass-rush, surrounding pass-rush, and secondary coverage. It is generally understood that two of these
three must be working at, or near, maximum output to allow the great ones to
take over. Such was not the case for
Ware in 2011.
While he himself may have had a fine season, too many others
around him struggled in the performance of their duties, which, in turn,
allowed opposing teams to focus more on stopping Ware, thereby limiting his
individual success. Anthony Spencer’s
effectiveness on the opposite side of the defense was non-existent for the
final month, a development that coincided with the demise of the Dallas Cowboys
secondary, the primary culprits being Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, and Alan
Ball.
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| Rookie Morris Claiborne |
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| Veteran Brandon Carr |
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| Barry Church |
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