Chris Cooley Talks About Trying to Block DeMarcus Ware

Chris Cooley was on 106.7 THE FAN today talking many things, including DeMarcus Ware. Obviously, the Redskins are not going to leave him 1-1 with a Tackle, so Cooley and Fred Davis will get their share of blocking. 

Junkies: You guys face Dallas on Monday Night Football. That defense has Demarcus Ware. Have you faced him in the past? Do you get matched up against him? What is it like?

Cooley: "Literally we have dug out game clips from 2006 and 2007 of me playing against Demarcus Ware. I mean I have played against him every year and the dude is so tough. They have Anthony Spencer on the other side and he's phenomenal. It's a huge challenge for the tight ends this week. Obviously it is a big challenge for everybody. I think a couple of their best players are their linebackers who we will see every single down, so there's a lot of study that will go in for us. There's a lot of technique ideas and game plan ideas to help us block them, to help us get off, because I am 240 pounds and he is a little bit bigger and stronger than me. I gotta outsmart him."

What's that like going up against a guy like Demarcus Ware where he could beat you up physically?

"No and here's the thing I was telling Fred [Davis], who will be playing him a lot too. There's a lot of guys that will surprise you. They'll be quick. The Cardinals outside linebackers try to throw you down every time and they'll sometimes surprise you. The only thing that will surprise you about Demarcus Ware and he knows, but the only thing that surprised you is that as soon as you get on him you're like oh my god this dude is a beast. He's not going to do anything, but try to drive you straight back. We were watching 49ers film and he is punking Vernon Davis straight back into the backfield a couple of times."

So Demarcus Ware is bull rushing guys and not even trying to use his speed?

"In the run game that is what he does. He plays his gap by playing through a player. He's just going around you. The thing you gotta do is you just gotta know what his responsibilities are instead of actually threatening him physically. You have to threaten his responsibilities to make him play the way you want him to play."