NFL teams
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer 11y

DeMarcus Ware will face Redskins

NFL, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

IRVING, Texas -- A right shoulder injury that kept DeMarcus Ware out of most of the second half of Sunday's overtime loss to New Orleans will not keep the Cowboys' Pro Bowl linebacker out of this week's game at Washington that will decide the NFC East title.

"Divisional championship game, Sunday night," Ware told ESPNDallas.com. "Should I keep going?"

Ware has been slowed by shoulder, hamstring and elbow injuries this season but still leads the Cowboys with 11.5 sacks. He was able to return in overtime against the Saints for a third-down pass rush and played 59 of the 95 defensive snaps.

Ware had another MRI on Monday for his shoulder.

"Somehow, someway, DeMarcus is going to get himself right to play in this Washington game," coach Jason Garrett said.

Ware has never missed a game in his career, playing in 127 straight with 126 starts. The only game he did not start was in 2009 at New Orleans when he suffered a serious neck injury.

"DeMarcus Ware is such a talented athlete that I think a lot of times people lose sight of the kind of person he is and how mentally and physically tough he is," Garret said. "He's been dealing with a few different things over the course of the season, and he just somehow, someway, gets himself ready to play in a ballgame.

"And he hasn't had the gaudy numbers he has had in the past in terms of sacks, but he's such a productive player for us. I think a lot of that goes to his ability but much more of it goes to his will and his passion for playing, his passion for his teammates and his love of the game. And he'll battle through anything."

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