IRVING, Texas – DeMarcus Ware was limited in practice Thursday by the same back injury that held him out Wednesday.
Despite the lingering health issues that have helped make this one of Ware's least productive seasons, he said he feels fine and will be on the field when the Cowboys travel to play Washington.
"I feel good, but at the end of the day we know what's at stake," Ware said. "To be honest with you, I feel like this type of game should be one of those playoff atmosphere-type games, because it's win, lose or draw, to me. I know my teammates feel the same way, and we're going to play that way."
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Ware's presence on the field hasn't translated to success this season. He missed the first three games of his career in October with a quadriceps injury, and he has just one sack since the team's Nov. 17 bye week.
That fact raised the question of whether Ware felt like his body was betraying him. After all, he has been coping with some kind of injury issue since the Week 2 loss to Kansas City – not to mention his plethora of problems in 2012.
"I think the injuries are. I wouldn't say my body is doing anything," he said. "I still feel good, I'm still explosive, still able to do everything I need to do. But the thing is you've got to be effective, and you've got to find some way to do that."
That said, Ware said his struggles to meet his high standards – his current six sacks would be the lowest total of his career – have been frustrating. But he added he can't afford to focus on that frustration with the Cowboys facing two potential do-or-die situations in the next two weeks.
[embedded_ad] "Right now, at this point, I can't let that frustrate me. I've got to get out there and just keep playing and knowing that eventually that time is going to come," he said.
There's no time like the present, as the Cowboys can extend their playoff hopes into Week 17 with a win Sunday, or a loss by Philadelphia. Ware said the mood in the locker room is still positive despite a two game losing streak because there is still a goal to strive for.
"We was in this same position last year when we played against Washington, and we lost to them," he said. "This time, we've got another opportunity to go up there and sort seal something different – get a win and then try to come home and make the playoffs."
