MySa Blog: Ware should play all downs vs. Washington

[WoodysGirl]

By Tom Orsborn on Dec 21, 09 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share

The Cowboys limited OLB DeMarcus Ware at the start of the New Orleans game to playing on passing downs.

But with his neck feeling much better, Ware is expected to return to playing every down all the time against Washington on Sunday night.

"I'd say yes right now," coach Wade Phillips said. "I mean, he went back in the game (Saturday night) in regular situations too. He felt good enough to do that and did that."

Phillips said Ware's backup, fourth-round pick Victor Butler, "didn't have a real great game," playing mainly on first and second down.

Phillips said Ware entered the game with "some uncertainty in his mind about where he was and how he was going to feel."

"So we took that in consideration and said, 'Look, we will play Victor Butler on first and second down and play you in passing situations and see how it goes,' " Phillips said.

"We monitored that. When he got in there, he said he was feeling all right and got better and better as we went along. It was a confidence thing with him. And he passed with flying colors."

You think? Ware had two huge strip sacks on Dree Brees. The first resulted in a Nick Folk 44-yard field goal just before halftime and the second came with 6 seconds left and iced the game when Jay Ratliff recovered.

"He has made sacks at end of lots of ball games since I have been here," Phillips said of Ware. "He is going to give that kind of effort late in the game just like he does early in the game whether he has played a lot of plays or not."

 

[Eskimo]

Wade is an idiot - it is these kind of decisions that I hate. This coaching staff is so reluctant to let the backups ever get any snaps. There was an obvious difference in Ware and Spencer in this game that was due to ball control from the offense and a generous sprinkling of Butler. They were fresh at the end of the game and terrorized Brees all the way down the field.

Let Butler have maybe 1/3rd of the first and second down snaps and the odd series (not in the red zone) so that we have a rested Ware for critical situations. The amount of snaps he plays is ridiculous and limits his impact in the game with the fatigue he develops.

Wade is right that he has had sacks late in the game. But it is also true that there are quite a few snaps where he hardly tries to pass rush at all because he is too tired.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Is the blog writer saying Ware should play ever snap or is he saying Wade Phillips is saying this?

And I agree, Demarcus Ware should play as many snaps as he can.

Wade Phillips' job and the Playoffs are on the line so you go with your known horses when things get "critical".

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Yeah, but Eskimo, I think we might do that if we had a better backup. It seems that Wade just doesn't think Butler is either talented enough or experienced enough right now.

It's kind of a bad situation for Victor because he's smallish and will probably never be good against the run. And of course that's exactly the role he had to play Saturday night going on early downs.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Ware should play every down vs. Commanders
December, 21, 2009 Dec 211:02PM CT

By Tim MacMahon

IRVING, Texas -- DeMarcus Ware played primarily in the nickel package against the New Orleans Saints. That was because of the coaching staff's concern about Ware's confidence in his neck six days after he was carted off the field on a stretcher.

"He passed with flying colors," Wade Phillips said.

That's an understatment, considering that Ware had a pair of strip-sacks, one that set up a field goal before halftime and one that sealed the win.

With his strained neck no worse for the wear, Ware should be ready to return to playing every down Sunday against the Washington Commanders.

That would please Phillips, who said rookie Victor Butler "didn't have a real great game" as Ware's replacement in the base defense.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

I wonder what Wade saw in Butler to make him criticize him, which he never does. We 3 and outed them the first 3 drives and held them to 17, so he obviously wasn't that bad when he was in there.

 

[Eskimo]

Yeah, but Eskimo, I think we might do that if we had a better backup. It seems that Wade just doesn't think Butler is either talented enough or experienced enough right now.

It's kind of a bad situation for Victor because he's smallish and will probably never be good against the run. And of course that's exactly the role he had to play Saturday night going on early downs.

I suppose but I didn't notice Butler getting majorly exposed earlier in the game when he was in.

Conversely, I saw a very refreshed Demarcus Ware shove the LT back into Brees about as fast as Brees could drop back on the final play of the game.

Haven't we complained for years that we don't have much of a pass rush at the end of the game when other teams try to air it out? Has it not occurred that the problem might be that Ware is tired from playing 98% of the snaps and trying to push around a player that outweighs him by 75 pounds?

Let Butler play some. Next year, Brandon Williams should be able to give Ware some breaks as well.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Wade is an idiot - it is these kind of decisions that I hate. This coaching staff is so reluctant to let the backups ever get any snaps. There was an obvious difference in Ware and Spencer in this game that was due to ball control from the offense and a generous sprinkling of Butler. They were fresh at the end of the game and terrorized Brees all the way down the field.

Let Butler have maybe 1/3rd of the first and second down snaps and the odd series (not in the red zone) so that we have a rested Ware for critical situations. The amount of snaps he plays is ridiculous and limits his impact in the game with the fatigue he develops.

Wade is right that he has had sacks late in the game. But it is also true that there are quite a few snaps where he hardly tries to pass rush at all because he is too tired.

I agree, I made the point yesterday... Ware looked really fresh out there it was due to Butler.

 

[rwilliamsfan]

It was pretty obvious after this week that Ware needs more rest during games. Yeah, I want the best defensive player in the league in the game as much as possible, but quite frankly toward the end of games you haven't been getting that. You've been getting "the best defensive player in the league in an exhausted state".

Why does our defense fail to get pressure late and games, and give up game winning drives? This is most definitely a part of that.

 

[Eskimo]

It was pretty obvious after this week that Ware needs more rest during games. Yeah, I want the best defensive player in the league in the game as much as possible, but quite frankly toward the end of games you haven't been getting that. You've been getting "the best defensive player in the league in an exhausted state".

Why does our defense fail to get pressure late and games, and give up game winning drives? This is most definitely a part of that.

There's no other obvious reason that the defense should play well all game and then fall apart at the end. I know for years we've had a lacklustre pass rush but it even happened last year when we led the league in sacks - we didn't generate nearly as much pressure at the end of the game. A huge part of that is the fact that Ratliff and Ware played darn near every defensive play. It looks like they have committed to using Siavii a bit more this year than they had in the past to keep Ratliff fresher. They now need to start doing that for Ware, too.

 

[rwilliamsfan]

It will be very interesting to see what kind of rest he gets this game.

 

[Idgit]

Wow. A Wade's-an-idiot,-he-should-have-Demarcus-Ware-on-the-*bench*-more-often thread.

Live long enough, see everything, I guess.

 

[rwilliamsfan]

Wow. A Wade's-an-idiot,-he-should-have-Demarcus-Ware-on-the-*bench*-more-often thread.

Live long enough, see everything, I guess.

I'm personally not of the opinion that "wade is an idiot", but given our lack of pass rush late in games you need to look at all potential causes. This one is particularly salient.

 

[Idgit]

I'm personally not of the opinion that "wade is an idiot", but given our lack of pass rush late in games you need to look at all potential causes. This one is particularly salient.

I hadn't noticed lack of pass rush late in games as a problem this season. Our defense has been pretty consistent this year.

 

[Hypnotoad]

I have to question the football, and general, IQ of anyone advocating Ware on sidelines more.

 

[Cover 2]

I have to question the football, and general, IQ of anyone advocating Ware on sidelines more.

But he got exposed last game.

 

[Eskimo]

I have to question the football, and general, IQ of anyone advocating Ware on sidelines more.

He needs the odd rest just like 99% of football players in the front 7 who occasionally get some plays off. The smaller guys can run all day so it isn't as much of an issue for them.

 

[Cover 2]

He needs the odd rest just like 99% of football players in the front 7 who occasionally get some plays off. The smaller guys can run all day so it isn't as much of an issue for them.

I don't think our backups are good enough yet. Butler is a rookie, and Wade wasn't enamored with his play. Maybe after he gets some more experience, and if Brandon Williams pans out Ware and Spencer can get more rest.

 

[Hypnotoad]

He needs the odd rest just like 99% of football players in the front 7 who occasionally get some plays off. The smaller guys can run all day so it isn't as much of an issue for them.

If a rested Ware gets more sacks, where were the sacks at the start of the year? He was rested and fresh then wasn't he? Wait maybe not! He was in preseason and training camp. He should just take offseason off and eat cheetoes off his beard/shirt and post on cowboyszone and then come and just turn on the switch during game time. That's how it works right???