Bland recorded three tackles (two solo) and intercepted his ninth pass of the season in Sunday's win over the Commanders.
The nine picks led the NFL, but Bland fell a little short in his quest to challenge the Cowboys' franchise record of 11, set by Everson Walls in 1981 and tied by Trevon Diggs (knee) in 2021. Diggs played only 98 snaps this season before needing surgery to repair a torn ACL, but he should be fully recovered to begin the 2024 campaign, giving Dallas two of the preeminent ballhawks in the league in its secondary.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Picks off another pass
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Bland tallied six tackles (five solo) and one interception in Thursday's 41-35 Week 13 win over Seattle.
Bland had a few deep passes completed against him, but he also picked off Geno Smith in the third quarter on a pass intended for Tyler Lockett. The interception was Bland's league-leading eighth of the campaign, five of which he's returned for a touchdown. He's recorded exactly one pickoff in each of his past four contests.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Breaks pick-six record Week 12
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Bland registered 10 tackles (seven solo) and returned an interception for a touchdown Thursday in a 45-10 victory versus Washington.
When Bland picked off Sam Howell and returned the ball 63 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, he became the single-season NFL record holder with five pick-sixes on the campaign. He also leads the league with seven total interceptions and has defensed six other passes for good measure. Considering his record-breaking campaign, Bland should receive some consideration for DPOY at the end of the regular season.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Ties NFL record in Week 11 win
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Bland recorded five tackles and an interception that he returned for a 30-yard touchdown in Sunday's 33-10 win over the Panthers.
The second-year cornerback was only a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but Bland has quickly emerged as the league's preeminent ballhawk. Sunday's pick-six was his fourth of the season, tying the NFL record last matched by the Eagles' Eric Allen in 1993, and he's also chipped in two other interceptions this season that he didn't manage to take back to the house. Those four touchdowns stand in contrast to the one score he's allowed in coverage on 42 pass attempts.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Nabs fifth pick of season
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Bland recorded four tackles (three solo) and an interception in Sunday's 49-17 rout of the Giants.
The Cowboys dominated play to such an extent Sunday that Bland's four tackles actually tied for the team lead, as the defense was simply never on the field until the fourth quarter, when the backups got some extra run. The second-year cornerback had five INTs through nine games in 2023 -- one back of league leader Geno Stone -- and an incredible 10 in his first 26 NFL games, and quarterbacks have completed an eye-popping 35.0 percent of pass attempts with Bland in coverage. The Fresno State product, taken with the 167th overall pick, has emerged as one of the steals of the 2022 draft.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Gets into end zone again
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Bland recorded four tackles (three solo) and three passes defended, including two interceptions, one of which he returned for a 54-yard touchdown, in Sunday's 38-3 rout of the Patriots.
Amazingly, Bland's pick-six against Mac Jones just before halftime was the Cowboys' second defensive TD of the second quarter, as well as being the cornerback's second touchdown of the season. Bland is quickly proving his aptitude for ball-hawking as a rookie was no fluke -- after grabbing five INTs in 17 games last season, he already has three in four games to begin 2023.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Returns INT to house in rout
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Bland recorded three tackles and returned an interception 22 yards for his first career NFL touchdown in Sunday's 40-0 win over the Giants.
After snagging five picks as a rookie last year, Bland quickly proved that performance was no fluke to kick off the 2023 campaign. With the Giants already reeling after seeing a field-goal attempt blocked and returned for a Noah Igbinoghene TD on their first possession, Trevon Diggs laid a big hit on Saquon Barkley after a short pass that caused the ball to pop into the air, and Bland swooped in to catch it and return it to the house. The Dallas defense looks like it could be a fantasy monster this season, but Bland should have some deep-league IDP value on his own.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Moves past injury Thursday
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Bland (chest) was not listed on the Cowboys' injury report Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Bland was forced out with a chest injury during Dallas' regular-season finale against the Commanders. However, the rookie cornerback appears to have quickly overcome this issue since then, so he should be ready to play in Monday's wild-card game against Tampa Bay.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Nabs another interception
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Bland recorded six tackles (four solo) and two passes defended, including his fourth interception of the season, in Sunday's overtime loss to the Jaguars.
The rookie fifth-round pick has proven to be an absolute steal in Dan Quinn's defense, and Bland's role in an injury-riddled secondary has grown as the season has worn on. Three of Bland's four INTs have come in the last three games, along with 20 of his 40 tackles on the year, and he could be a real IDP asset over the final few weeks.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Breakout game Sunday
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Bland recorded eight tackles and two interceptions in Sunday's win over the Colts.
The rookie cornerback saw a career-high 60 snaps with Jourdan Lewis (foot) on IR and Anthony Brown suffering a torn Achilles in the third quarter, and Bland turned the increased opportunity into a massive IDP performance, showing impressive closing speed on both his picks. With Brown lost for the season, Bland and Kelvin Joseph will both see increased roles alongside Trevon Diggs in the Dallas secondary.
