Texas NFL Capsules: Beware: Cowboys LB D-Ware a dominating force

IRVING - DeMarcus Ware surely expected a running play on third-and-short. Frank Gore instead burst out of the backfield and into a deep pass pattern.

Ware, the Cowboys linebacker better known for sacking quarterbacks before they can even throw the ball, stuck with San Francisco's dual-threat running back step for step - and broke up the pass more than 20 yards downfield.

While Ware is the NFL sacks leader, he has a unique blend of strength, agility and quickness that allows him to make plays and be a dominating force all over the field.

"He's dismantling people," teammate Marcus Spears said. "D-Ware plays the run like a down lineman, he also can get to the quarterback with a power rush or can run past them. So those facets of his game are what makes him exceptional."

Ware's three sacks in the Cowboys' last game Thanksgiving Day pushed his season total to 15. Those came in less than three quarters before Ware sustained a hyperextended left knee, an injury that kept him out some practices this week but isn't expected to keep him from playing Sunday.

When his left leg twisted awkwardly while again rushing Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Ware fell to the ground. An uneasy feeling settled over suddenly quiet Texas Stadium when it became apparent he was hurt.

The Cowboys (8-4), a preseason Super Bowl favorite now fighting just to earn a wild-card spot, already had struggled through three games without injured Tony Romo. The quarterback's return sparked a three-game winning streak, and now their defensive leader was down.

But Ware got up after a few minutes and walked to the sideline and locker room without any assistance, and even returned to the field for the postgame celebration. Ware expects to play Sunday at Pittsburgh wearing a protective brace on his knee.

"Guys might try to go at it or cut me," Ware said. "That's part of the game."

Defenses have had little success stopping Ware, no matter what they do.

"Our guys are short, squatty try-hard guys," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said this week when asked to compare his standout linebacker James Harrison to Ware. "DeMarcus is a freak of nature."

Said Spears, "Having him out there, offenses have to account and change things up. He affects the game before it starts."

Along with his career-best 15 sacks, Ware already has 76 tackles (five for losses), 16 quarterback pressures, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

"He's an instinctive player and he's a smart player," said Zach Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker who joined the Cowboys this season. "He's so talented. He really has impressed me with his consistency. You really don't see him have an off game."

In the only game this season Ware didn't have a sack, ending his NFL record-matching streak of 10 consecutive games with one, he was in the face of Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia to force a victory-clinching incompletion on fourth down from the Cowboys 18 with 13 seconds left.

Ware since has a modest four-game streak, and the NFL single-season record of 22½ sacks set by Michael Strahan in 2001 isn't out of reach. Even though Ware knows it "is possible" he would rather not discuss that right now.

"You've got to keep it out of your mind. It's all really just being consistent," Ware said. "That's what I told myself at the beginning of the season. I've been doing really well with that philosophy, so just going to keep on rolling."

Ware's sacks streak that was the longest in the NFL in 15 years isn't even recognized as a Cowboys record. Harvey Martin had sacks in 11 consecutive games from 1976-77 before the NFL recognized sacks as an official stat, and has the single-season team record with 23 in 1977.

Still, the last Cowboy to have more sacks in a season than Ware was Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White with 16 in 1978. And Ware, in his fourth season, already has four of the top six single-season totals for linebackers in team history, and is only the fourth player in team history with three consecutive 10-sack seasons.

Teammates insist, however, that Ware is even better against the run than he is rushing quarterbacks and creating havoc in the passing game.

"That's telling you something," Thomas said.

"I love when guys try to run," said Ware, whose beastly on-field persona is far from the soft-spoken, often-smiling person he really is. "I can really show my aggression toward them when they try to crack-block down on me. ... You really can just overpower guys."

Ware hadn't even played a game for the Cowboys as a rookie in 2005 before former coach Bill Parcells was comparing the first-round pick to another player he coached, Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.

Parcells drafted Ware 11th overall, taking the defensive end from Troy instead of Shawne Merriman, who was selected by San Diego with the very next pick. Ware had to learn the nuances of the 3-4 defense and adapt to the hybrid position that is part defensive end and part linebacker.

"It's all about wanting to do it and just working hard," Ware said. "That's what I do at the end of the day. I knew I was going to be able to convert over to linebacker, but how successful can you be? It goes as sort of a goal or a steppingstone that I had to overcome. Now, I'm very comfortable with what I do."

And eventually Parcells may be comparing players to Ware instead of Taylor.

Cowboys-Steelers revive the '70s

PITTSBURGH - Ben Roethlisberger wasn't born yet when the Dallas-Pittsburgh rivalry thrived with two 1970s-era Super Bowl matchups, back when the Cowboys first gained the nickname of America's Team but the Steelers were America's champions.

The Steelers quarterback gains an appreciation each day for what those Doomsday Defenses versus the Steel Curtain games meant not only to the nearly two dozen Hall of Famers who played in them, but the cities they represent.

The numerous pictures displayed at Steelers headquarters - and the two Super Bowl trophies earned by beating Dallas - tell him all he needs to know.

"It's here every day when you walk in," Roethlisberger said. "You know how special it is from a team standpoint. To us, it's another huge game."

Huge, indeed.

Cowboys-Steelers games have been a scarce commodity of late, with only five meetings in 20 seasons. But Sunday's contest may be the most significant during the regular season since disco was king and the quarterbacks were Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw, not Roethlisberger and Tony Romo.

The Steelers (9-3) could make the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years by winning, as long as the Patriots and Dolphins lose. Also, Mike Tomlin could become the first coach in the franchise's 76-year history to win at least 10 games in each of his first two seasons.

For the Cowboys, it's even more of a must-win game. They probably need to win three of their final four to reach the playoffs and, with the Giants, Ravens and Eagles to follow, there's not much margin for error.

"This is the type of game that you want to play in," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "Because if you don't play well against these guys, it kind of lets you know where you are. We need every game going into the stretch."

Dallas will be challenged not only by a Pittsburgh defense that leads the league in every major category - no defense has been so dominant statistically since the 1991 Eagles - but its own discouraging run of Decembers.

The Cowboys are 17-28 in December games dating to their last playoff victory 12 years ago. No wonder they probably won't like this frigid Pittsburgh-in-December forecast: snow showers and a gametime temperature of 26.

To Tomlin, that record - and the Cowboys' 8-4 season mark - matter not a bit.

"They're much better than an 8-4 team," Tomlin said. "They're a different team when their quarterback (Tony Romo) is playing."

Romo is 3-0 with six touchdown passes and one interception since returning from a broken right little finger, leading an offense that has scored 34-plus points and gained more than 400 yards in its last two games.

Romo's challenge: The Steelers' No. 1-ranked defense hasn't allowed a team - much less a passer - to gain 300 yards. Pittsburgh gives up 166.8 yards per game passing, far less than the Cowboys offense's average of 244 yards through the air.

"I think they're fantastic," said Romo, a noted risk-taker with a league-high 103.2 passer rating who probably can't afford many mistakes against this defense. "It's going to be an incredible challenge for us to move the ball. They're every bit as good as people say. When you look at it, you just don't know how you are going to move the ball against these guys."

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips, an assistant 30 years ago under father Bum when the Oilers twice lost to Pittsburgh in AFC championship games, said this defense compares favorably to that famed Steel Curtain.

While cold weather gear will be necessary, perhaps this will become known as the pajama game.

To keep his players' legs fresh as the season winds down, Phillips sent some of his veterans home early from practice Wednesday. Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, back from a six-game suspension, took advantage of the casual atmosphere by practicing in a pair of Homer Simpson pajama pants.

The Steelers never go about their work so casually, with safety Ryan Clark saying this game illustrates the difference between Hollywood's team (Dallas) and the heartland's team (Pittsburgh).

"They have a glamour element," Clark said. "(Steelers chairman) Dan Rooney, you never seen him in front of the cameras. And then Jerry Jones, he loves it. He knows how to put his team in the forefront and he knows how to make his team Hollywood."

Roethlisberger is about as big as it gets as a celebrity in Pittsburgh, but he can't compare to Romo and his tabloid-filling romance with singer Jessica Simpson.

"I don't mean this to sound rude, but he's asking for it (the attention)," said Roethlisberger, whose best-known fling was with golfer Natalie Gulbis. "He's dating high profile, he's doing all the stuff that he wants to do. That's the life he chooses to live off the football field and that's his choice."

Clark joked he once kept up with Romo's romance but, "I stopped reading US Weekly - I felt kind of feminine. But he is an awesome quarterback."

A bigger Dallas worry is that running back Marion Barber (870 yards) probably won't be 100 percent because of a dislocated toe. The Steelers allow only 71.2 yards rushing, the lowest average since the 1970 NFL merger.

Steelers running back Willie Parker has a sore knee so Tomlin compensated during a 33-10 rout of New England by having him split carries with Mewelde Moore. The Steelers finished with 161 yards rushing, the most they've had since their opener.

Roethlisberger, sacked 33 times, needs a similar running game to limit Dallas pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. Ware has a league-high 15 sacks, one more than Pittsburgh's James Harrison. Ware has a hyperextended left knee but expects to play.

Much like Roethlisberger, the pregame attention focused on two of the NFL's signature franchises helped James learn more about a rivalry that created two of the most entertaining and competitive Super Bowls during the 1970s.

Remember Lynn Swann's impossible catches? Franco Harris' running? Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson's putdown that Bradshaw couldn't spelled "cat" if he was spotted the "c" and the "a"?

"They have just as many Lombardis (five) as we do," James said. "To play against those guys with all the history implications, not only history but what's going on right now, it will be a great game."

-- Alan Robinson

Cowboys' Barber doesn't make trip to Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH - Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber did not make the team's trip to Pittsburgh for Sunday's game against the Steelers, meaning rookie Tashard Choice will make his first NFL start.

Barber dislocated his right little toe in the first half against Seattle on Nov. 27 and did not practice all week. Choice, from Georgia Tech, replaced him against Seattle and rushed for a career-high 57 yards on 11 carries, giving him 147 yards on 30 carries this season.

Dallas (8-4) was already without backup running back Felix Jones due to a season-ending torn ligament in his left big toe - an injury that occurred while he was rehabilitating a left hamstring injury.

Losing the 225-pound Barber is a major setback for the Cowboys, who may need to win at least three of their final four games to reach the playoffs. The Steelers (9-3) lead the NFL in rushing defense with 71.2 yards per game average, the lowest by any team since the 1970 NFL merger, and have not allowed an opposing back to gain even 80 yards.

Barber, who missed a 1,000-yard season by 25 yards last season, has 225 carries for 870 yards, seven touchdowns and a 3.9 per carry average. He was hoping to play by wearing a splint on the toe or a shoe insert, but did not progress as quickly as coach Wade Phillips hoped.

Phillips said as late as Thursday that Barber's status probably wouldn't be decided until game time.

Packers hope elements are on their side vs. Texans

GREEN BAY, Wis. - With snow piling up and temperatures plunging into the teens in Green Bay this week, Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams says he's ready for whatever conditions might await him at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Williams, after all, has been hardened by the brutal snowstorms he experienced growing up in ... North Carolina?

"It snows in North Carolina, and it gets cold in North Carolina," Williams insisted. "So to me personally, I really don't care. If it snows, great. If it doesn't, great."

But Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a California kid himself, thinks Williams and the rest of the Texans might be in for a shock. Coming off two straight losses but still clinging to playoff chances in the mediocre NFC North, the Packers (5-7) are hoping the elements are on their side Sunday.

"Teams from warm-weather climates get off the plane, it's 20 degrees outside, I think some of that doubt and wanting to be back home starts to set in their mind," Rodgers said. "When they walk out that tunnel at 10 o'clock in the morning for a noon game and they're running around trying to get their body loose, they can't wait to get on that plane and go back home. So if you can get up on them early, it can be a long game for them. And a long trip back home."

But it didn't exactly work out that way last week, when the Carolina Panthers snatched away a comeback victory over the Packers in the final two minutes of the game at cold and snowy Lambeau.

Perhaps the Panthers also were hardened by those oh-so-harsh Carolina winters. More likely, they took advantage of the Packers' season-long problems winning close games. That's something the Texans hope to do Sunday, too, whether or not the weather is bad.

"Cold is cold," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "We're going to have to go down there and function - protect the football and do a good job."

Just like the Packers, the Texans are 5-7. Because they play in a tougher division, the Texans don't come into Sunday's game with playoff hopes. But they do have momentum after Monday night's victory over Jacksonville.

And that win came without starting quarterback Matt Schaub, who is likely to return Sunday after missing four games with a knee injury. Kubiak said the potentially cold and slippery conditions at Lambeau wouldn't affect his decision to let Schaub play.

"If he can play then he can play," Kubiak said. "That's not going to play into it. Weatherwise up there, you know it's going to be cold. That's just part of playing up there. But they do a great job with their field. So regardless of what the conditions were, if we think he can play, we'll go from there."

Backup Sage Rosenfels was solid in Schaub's absence Monday night, but the Texans' star was rookie running back Steve Slaton.

Slaton was voted AFC offensive player of the week after rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans also have wide receiver Andre Johnson, who leads the league in receptions (88) and yards receiving (1,146).

Schaub hopes to use the threat of Slaton's big-play ability to set up the pass.

"Regardless of the conditions or who we're playing, we've got to establish the run," Schaub said. "Especially on the road, if you can continue to be balanced and be able to keep them off-balance and use our play-action, that's just when we're at our best."

Charles Woodson is expected to switch from cornerback to safety for the second straight week because of continued nagging injuries to Atari Bigby. The Packers have struggled to rush the passer this season, something that hasn't been a problem for Houston.

Green Bay's offensive line will have to fend off Williams, who has 11 sacks, including three against Jacksonville on Monday night.

Rodgers played well in the loss to Carolina, his first real test playing in bad weather. As the playing conditions got worse in the second half, Rodgers got better.

"It was pretty mild," Rodgers said. "As long as the wind's not blowing, it's really not that bad. Once you're moving around, get the blood flowing, you're really not that cold. So you've just got to keep your body warm, keep your hands warm."

McCarthy, whose Packers are 7-2 in December over the past two seasons, said he enjoys playing in the cold - especially against teams that aren't used to it.

"It factors," McCarthy said. "You think about it. You can say you don't, but I think human nature is to think about the weather a little bit."

Johnson acknowledges the combination of the cold and the Packers' highly regarded secondary will be a challenge, but he still hopes to make some big plays Sunday.

"It's going to be a big challenge, especially for our passing game," Johnson said. "I know those guys play a lot of man coverage. They have some great cornerbacks. It's going to be cold. We know what to expect, but we have to be ready."

-- Chris Jenkins