Warning: this may be a bit of a rant. I don't want this to come across as sour milk, but I have been thinking about this for a while, and I wanted to get it off my chest. I am also a little bored at work. I will delete this if it gets a negative response.
I don’t mean to come across as an ignoramus, and this has nothing to do with the Dallas win last night, or their 5-0 record, but am I the only one who doesn’t buy all the hype around Demarcus Ware? The kid is a nice little player, but he sure gets a lot of build up for moderate production.
I must preface ths by saying I have seen a lot of Dallas Cowboys games and seen a lot of Ware, but naturally, I do not follow them as closely as the Giants, so this argument could be completely off base.
He has decent size at 6’4”, 257 pounds, but in my opinion, he seems to disappear quite often at time during games. His power is alright, but once he is engaged with a blocker, I think he has trouble getting off the block. He speed is alright, but he doesn’t use his speed to attack the QB or run down a back nearly enough. He has all these tools to be a top flight pass rusher, and the media gushes about him and what he will become, but I just do not see it.
The Dallas Defense was supposed to be an all out attack under Wade Phillips, and I have not been impressed. They don’t seem to generate a lot of pressure, and I think they aren’t very good at stopping the run. But yet they get a ton of hype and it starts with Demarcus Ware.
I know that this probably has something to do with the Cowboys being “America’s Team” and all, but all you hear is how Demarcus Ware is an absolute beast, and must be accounted for at all times, but I just don’t see it. I think Greg Ellis is the best pass rusher on the Dallas Defense.
Since Ware was drafted, we have been waiting to see this unstoppable force when rushing the passer, and I am not impressed. Sure he has 4.5 sacks this year, 11.5 sacks last year, and 8 sacks two years ago (24 total in his career), but for a kid drafted 11th overall, shouldn’t we be seeing sack numbers in the teens? Shouldn’t he be causing havoc and disturbing offenses every Sunday?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not calling him a bust, and I know he is still young, but I just don’t see it. For arguments sake, look at Shawne Merriman who was taken 12th overall in the same draft as Ware. I know some have issues with Merriman because the Chargers took him with the Giants pick in that draft, and he has been hit with a steroid suspension, and is cocky and brash, but I feel he is far superior to Ware.
I know you can’t measure productions through stats, number and measurables, but Merriman has better size (6’4”, 272 pounds), better speed, and has had more sacks (10 in 2005, 17 in 2006 with a 4 game suspension and 3 this year) every year in the league than Ware. Ware does have more career forced fumbles (9) than Merriman (7). Both players have 1 career interception. Ware has 1 career touchdown, and Merriman does not have a touchdown. Ware has more career tackles (152) and career solo tackles (125) than Merriman (140 and 108). Merriman has 14 career passes defended to Ware’s 8. Both players have stayed relatively healthy and the only games missed were the 4 games Merriman missed due to the steroid suspension. Ware is 25 and Merriman is 23 years of age.
I know Merriman gets a ton of hype as well, but I just feel that Merriman is a far superior player to Ware, and a game changer. Where as Ware gets some undeserved attention, and is not the same force or all the talk that Ware is elite, I think the NFL and NFC has some much better pass rushers than Ware, but yet Ware gets the attention.
Am I missing something here, or is anyone with me? Is Ware overrated?
Ware hasn't played up to his expectations so far this season, but he's more complete than ESPN and other places give him credit for. He isn't one dimensional like the guy out west is.
Funny thing is Kiwanuka has more sacks than both of those guys so far this year.
Edit: I guess Kiwi is listed at 4.5 sacks on the year. But I thought he got 2 sacks vs. Washington. Yahoo lists him getting 1.5 that game.
From what I've seen of Ware, he's a better overall player than Merriman. Merriman is 100 mph all the time, and it causes him to overpursue and miss tackles. I recall when Baltimore beat SD last year, Merriman had Heap dialed up and ran full speed at him, Heap caught the pass, slipped the tackle, and plowed into the end zone for the winning score. Granted Heap is a top flight TE, but he had his back to Merriman, who could have had him down the second he caught the ball.
Ware is a solid player, but I agree that it seems one player gets hyped and then all of a sudden ESPN, announcers, etc talk about every play he makes, whether great or routine.