Twitter: ESPN Sports Center ranks their all time Dallas Cowboys top 10

[OmerV]

I know the 1970s were a long time ago, but I'm not sure that I could put Ware ahead of Harvey Martin as a pass rusher.

Ware did finish with more sacks (in more seasons and more games), and played on lesser defenses.

The NFL didn’t start counting sacks until
the last couple of years of Martin’s Carr, so do we really know how many he had?

 

[Bobhaze]

Roger Staubach was the starting QB in 12 of this team’s 35 All time total playoff wins. And he also won a divisional playoff game he didn’t start, which would arguably give him 13 playoff wins. Emmitt deserves to be #2-4, but no one but Roger should be #1.

 

[Aven8]

Emmitt does have more individual achievements than anyone to ever wear the star.

I don’t see how anyone can argue Emmitt at #1 ever.

 

[robjay04]

All I can do is laugh at this post. That’s all it deserves.

There’s nothing really to laugh at because it’s not a stretch. Both are great players but Ware was a better pass rusher than Aikman was a QB IMO. Ware was scary good in his prime. One of only 10 players in the 20 sack club.

Cowboys have only employed a player that eclipsed 15 sacks on three occasions...all 3 were Demarcus Ware. Ware also had to play coverage which makes this number even more amazing. His first step is probably top 10, if not top 5 all time.

I am not trying to discredit Aikman and what he meant to the 90s Cowboys...just looking at both players individually.

 

[robjay04]

Roger Staubach was the starting QB in 12 of this team’s 35 All time total playoff wins. And he also won a divisional playoff game he didn’t start, which would arguably give him 13 playoff wins. Emmitt deserves to be #2-4, but no one but Roger should be #1.

I’ll play Devils Advocate and say profootballreference says 11...so that has him tied for first in franchise history.

 

[robjay04]

I don’t see how anyone can argue Emmitt at #1 ever.

Why?

 

[quickccc]

Oh no! Lol. I take you are a more recent vintage fan than I am.

i really love and so very thankful for YouTube videos i'm experiencing more visual games than i had ever had a chance to
previously. i have no idea where folks are even getting such footage of past games, as they are allowing me to see more complete games of
players of the 70's and 80's, but i'm not finding very many at all when it comes to the players of the 60's, so far i'm
limited to " highlights " instead of play by play game analysis.
I love to see for my own eyes on several full game basis just what made Lilly, Hayes, wright, so unique.

 

[Aven8]

Why?

Arguably one of the best players in NFL history for one. Multiple rushing titles. TD leader. Most rushing yards in history. Durability, consistency, on and on. He was an excellent receiver and blocker too. Barry has crazy skills, but Emmitt could make the first guy miss like no other and really never took a hit.

 

[gimmesix]

The NFL didn’t start counting sacks until
the last couple of years of Martin’s Carr, so do we really know how many he had?

I believe he was unofficially credited with 123.

 

[gimmesix]

Ware also played in a much more pass happy league than Harvey. I’d take Harvey over Ware.

That's a good point.

 

[plasticman]

To this day, Chuck Howley holds the NFL record for total turnovers in a Superbowl. THAT is elevating your game when it is crunch time. The fact that he isn't in the hall of fame makes a mockery of that institution.

It's even worse than that....

In 1972 Chuck Howley was playing LB for the Cowboys at the same time Chris Hanburger was playing LB for the Commanders. Hanburger was always whining about the Cowboys blocking schemes, claiming the WR's were crackback blocking.

In game #13 against the Commanders, a receiver put a crackback block on Howley that put him out for the season.

Howley was selected for the Pro Bowl that season but he was hurt. So the NFL replaced him with Hanburger.

And then the ultimate injustice.....Hanburger is selected to the Hall of Fame in 2011.

How does a six time Pro Bowler, 5 time 1st team All Pro, SB MVP, playoff playmaker not make the HOF?

 

[robjay04]

Arguably one of the best players in NFL history for one. Multiple rushing titles. TD leader. Most rushing yards in history. Durability, consistency, on and on. He was an excellent receiver and blocker too. Barry has crazy skills, but Emmitt could make the first guy miss like no other and really never took a hit.

I agree with you. I misread your post...I thought you were saying the opposite.

 

[dfense]

You’re being a little silly, they are both first ballot HOFers and arguably the two most accomplished DTs not only in Cowboys history but NFL history. They both were 1st team All-Pro 7 times, think about that. Quibbling about one of them being 2 and the other 4 is silly.

I don't think so. Lilly played on a startup team. Can you name one other DL player he played with? He was the only guy on the line teams worried about. He was regularly doubled and even triple teamed. Played 196 straight games.

Randy was great. And he was also surrounded by All Pros for a lot of his career. You didn't have to triple team Randy with Too Tall and Harvey Martin bookends.

 

[BourbonBalz]

There’s nothing really to laugh at because it’s not a stretch. Both are great players but Ware was a better pass rusher than Aikman was a QB IMO. Ware was scary good in his prime. One of only 10 players in the 20 sack club.

Cowboys have only employed a player that eclipsed 15 sacks on three occasions...all 3 were Demarcus Ware. Ware also had to play coverage which makes this number even more amazing. His first step is probably top 10, if not top 5 all time.

I am not trying to discredit Aikman and what he meant to the 90s Cowboys...just looking at both players individually.

Ware was a great player, but he had a tendency to disappear at the biggest moments. Aikman was at his best in the biggest moments.

 

[BourbonBalz]

although the more reason why to have the most explosive first step edge rushers of all time.

Ware was so quick off the snap and past OT blockers that he was frequently mistakenly called for off sides
by the naked eye of NFL officials, until the Cowboys themselves had to send it film tape for officials to visually see
Ware was Not off sides.

Ware was great, but I think Harvey was better. Harvey was at least his equal as a pass rusher even though he didn’t get as many chances due to the nature of the game then, and he was better against the run. Far too many fans fail to realize just how good Harvey was.

 

[BourbonBalz]

There’s nothing really to laugh at because it’s not a stretch. Both are great players but Ware was a better pass rusher than Aikman was a QB IMO. Ware was scary good in his prime. One of only 10 players in the 20 sack club.

Cowboys have only employed a player that eclipsed 15 sacks on three occasions...all 3 were Demarcus Ware. Ware also had to play coverage which makes this number even more amazing. His first step is probably top 10, if not top 5 all time.

I am not trying to discredit Aikman and what he meant to the 90s Cowboys...just looking at both players individually.

There’s a severe inaccuracy in your post. Harvey Martin had more than 15 sacks numerous times. It was not an official stat during part of his career. He had 23 sacks in 1977 alone. Still a team record.

 

[Thomas82]

Emmitt does have more individual achievements than anyone to ever wear the star.

That's why he's my #1.

 

[TwentyOne]

Sanders wasn't a Cowboy, he was a rental.

The greatest Cowboys refer to the players that impacted the Cowboys the most. It doesn't matter what Deiom did for his other 4 teams.

You mean impact ?

Like coming from the reigning SB champ just to make his new team the SB champs ?

 

[TwentyOne]

Deion only played 35% of his career in Dallas. He was great for the time he was in Dallas, but the reality was that Dallas was one of many career stops.

A player who played for the Cowboys is not a Cowboy....

The problem with those greatest lists is that people tend to put too many other factors in it just to hold players up or down because they like them or dont.

Sanders played 5 years for the falcons and 5 years for the boys. Those were his longest stints.

 

[Runwildboys]

The NFL didn’t start counting sacks until
the last couple of years of Martin’s Carr, so do we really know how many he had?

Ask @xwalker , I'm sure he's studied the film.