DeMarcus Ware on Pace to Break All-time Sack Record

[JonJon]

I was thinking today about how great of a player Ware has become as I myself took for granted what was happening before my eyes. I was previously wondering what it must feel like to watch a legend in the making before realizing that we have one on our very team.

Include me in with the group that wondered what the heck Jerry and the Cowboy front office were doing when they passed by on Texas-native Derrick Johnson, now with the Chiefs, and Shawn Merriman of the Chargers to select the little-known, undersized, defense end from Troy. I was furious that Saturday afternoon, as Merriman had been one of my pre-draft pets and Johnson was a sure top 5 pick. I just knew Johnson was going to be a Cowboy when he slid to the 11th slot.

Hind-sight is 20/20. Both Merriman and Johnson are solid players in their own right, capable of taking over a game by themselves, but Ware is on a different level. Merriman seemed like the early favorite, but steroid charges and injury has taken him down a notch in my eyes.

Some food for thought: In four seasons, Ware has 53.5 sacks. The current sack leader is Michael Strahan, with a career total of 141.5 sacks. It took Strahan 15 seasons to get there, and it took him 5 seasons to get more than 8 sacks in one season. Ware's minimum season sack total is 8, and that was in his first season, playing a position he never played before. Scary...

If Ware continues on the pace of averaging 13.375 sacks per season, he will surpass Strahan's record around the 6th game of his 11th season. When its all said and done, he may be the best to ever play the position. Consider yourself special, as I do, to witness the growth and maturing of possibly one of the greatest football players of all-time, and thank your lucky britches that he is a Cowboy.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

The amazing thing to me is that it really wasn't until last year that Ware was unleashed in a defense that really takes advantage of him. Before that, he was just getting sacks by beating his man, not due to the scheme. I think he has a very good shot of breaking the single season record this year, just like last year.

 

[Hoofbite]

That's a lot ask out of him.

I would love every second of it but maintaining a high level of play for a long period of time is a lot to ask.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

both him and Romo will probably end up the best to play their positions, statistically at least, Romo has a good shot of being the highest rated passer of all-time if I'm not mistaken, if he keeps his level of play up

 

[Joe Realist]

I say he tops out at 125-150, which is still pretty darn good.

 

[BigDinAZ]

It would be soooo sweet if D-Ware goes down as the all-time sack leader, and does it as a cowboy!

Cowboys 4 Life!!!

 

[PoetTree]

Strahan doesn't hold the record.

Bruce Smith does, and it's 200 even.

I agree with the premise of your post that we are witnessing a legend in the making. As a Cowboys fan, I've gotten to witness quite a few of those over the years. Real happy about that. But lemme tell ya, Ware is gonna have to play loooong & healthy to surpass 200 career sacks. It's not unachievable. But damn, that's a ridiculous record!

I think Ware is already the best pass-rusher in the league, and the best one the league has seen in a great many years. From a talent standpoint, I don't even think we've seen his best. I truly hope he shatters Strahan's single-season record this year and runs away with Defensive MVP honors. I agree that he has the potential in front of him to be the best ever.

But he's got a ways to go before he's mentioned alongside folks like Bruce Smith (200 sacks), Reggie White (198 sacks), or even Kevin Greene, Chris Doleman, John Randle & Lawrence Taylor (160, 150.5, 137.5 and 132.5 sacks respectively). I'd love nothing more than to watch him assail those heights in a Cowboys uniform throughout the years.


Derrick Johnson??

*shwew!*

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I'm thinking he ends up somewhere in the 150 sack range, which would be absolutely awesome and more than great enough in my eyes.

 

[JonJon]

Strahan doesn't hold the record.

Bruce Smith does, and it's 200 even.

Ahhh, oversight on my part. Strahan holds the single-season record. My bad. Research is not my friend :.

Ware does have a great chance of breaking the single season record as well. He still could break the all-time record of 200, but it will take 15 seasons at his current pace to do so. Certainly not impossible, but not as probable as I initially thought.

 

[AbeBeta]

sack record is kind of a BS record since the sack is a relatively new statistic

 

[PoetTree]

Ware does have a great chance of breaking the single season record as well. He still could break the all-time record of 200, but it will take 15 seasons at his current pace to do so. Certainly not impossible, but not as probable as I initially thought.

Damn, Bruce Smith was productive for a long-*** time! And Reggie White, at 198 sacks, was not exactly a slouch, either. The drop-off behind them to Kevin Greene at 160 sacks is a chasm all its own! For Ware to even make 3rd would be a tremendous feat. Aaah, but wouldn't it be sweet to see him go out with something like 232 under his belt?? Random, but wow, if he actually makes it past Bruce Smith... he will unquestionably go down in immediate history as the greatest pass-rusher of all-time.


Do it, Ware! DO IT!!!

:starspin

 

[JonJon]

Damn, Bruce Smith was productive for a long-*** time! And Reggie White, at 198 sacks, was not exactly a slouch, either. The drop-off behind them to Kevin Greene at 160 sacks is a chasm all its own! For Ware to even make 3rd would be a tremendous feat. Aaah, but wouldn't it be sweet to see him go out with something like 232 under his belt?? Random, but wow, if he actually makes it past Bruce Smith... he will unquestionably go down in immediate history as the greatest pass-rusher of all-time.


Do it, Ware! DO IT!!!

:starspin

You're not lying. 200 career sacks is insane! But it still took Smith 19 seasons to get there. I'm surprised he was able to maintain that level for so long. Ware can do it in 15 if he maintains the pace. It's also encouraging to know that Smith had 44.5 sacks at the same point in his career as Ware is now, so Ware has a 9-sack lead over Smith.

Now, you want to talk scary? Reggie White had 198 sacks in 15 seasons... After 4 seasons, he had 70 sacks...



Ware trails Reggie White by 16.5 sacks.

 

[Az Lurker]

Reggie White was the best DE to ever play in my lifetime, I can't say he's the best ever since I never saw guys like Decon Jones play, but he was amazing. It seemed like he only ever had two pash rushing moves too, but never needed more then that.

 

[AdamJT13]

... Bruce Smith was productive for a long ... time!

Much like Emmitt's rushing record, the hardest part isn't peak production (Ware already has more sacks in one season than Smith ever did and has nine more sacks after four seasons than Smith did), it's being productive for a long, long time.

 

[RW31]

You can't be serious with this. Ware has 50 sacks and we're talking about 200 sacks here. TWO. HUNDRED. Once he cracks 100 we can maybe talk about this, if he still hasn't turned 30 by that point. Even then, it's ridiculous to ask somebody in his 30s to put up over ~100 sacks before he retires. Silly. Impossible. Not for a pass rushing OLB anyway. In order to break that record or even come close to that record you have to be a DE with a balanced style. Not a true pass rusher and not a true run stopper. Something in between. Like Bruce Smith, Reggie White, or Michael Strahan. Because once you hit 30 you (start to) lose all your speed and quickness. And if speed and quickness is all you can offer (see pass rusing OLBs) then you'll never come close to 200 or even 150.

 

[AbeBeta]

Much like Emmitt's rushing record, the hardest part isn't peak production (Ware already has more sacks in one season than Smith ever did and has nine more sacks after four seasons than Smith did), it's being productive for a long, long time.

also, continuing to play long past your prime really really helps

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

The all time sack record is held by Bruce Smith with 200 sacks, followed by the late great Reggie White. Michael Strahan ended his career down that list.

I think Ware will have around 150 to 175 before it's all said and done... He's going down as an All Time Great.

 

[SLATEmosphere]

I heart Demarcus Ware!!

 

[THUMPER]

Ware is not quite on pace to break the career sack record of 200. Bruce Smith played 19 seasons and Wedgie Whine played 15 years.

Smith had 116 sacks in his first 10 seasons so Ware MIGHT be able to beat that if he continues to improve as we expect him to, but he also has to stay healthy throughout his career.

Smith averaged 11.6 sacks per season over his first 10 years but he had 2 subpar years, his rookie year, when he only had 6.5 sacks, and his 7th season, when he was injured for most of the year and only played sparingly, getting 1.5 sacks. If you toss out those two seasons then he averaged 13.5 sacks per year over the other 8 seasons. That is slightly higher than Ware's 13.375 per year so far.

Wedgie averaged 14.5 sacks per season over his first 10 years and had 145 sacks after his 10th season. He was 33 that year but Smith was only 31 in his 10th season since he came into the league at 22 years old.

Ware started a year younger than White but he's already averaging a full sack per year fewer than Wedgie so to end up with 145 after 10 years isn't likely unless he really improves over the next 6 years.

Ware will probably break the single-season record within the next couple of years but I don't see him playing long enough to catch the top-2 guys.

 

[playmakers]

Stop asking so much from the guy. Fact of the matter is, he is going to be a 10 sack a year guy from now on. He will get double and tripled team every game after this season and somebody else will have to step up. In any sport you cant be a one trick pony. Look at Lebron James. If Ware doesnt have somebody to compliment him then hes in trouble.