Stop testing DaRon Bland, NFL quarterbacks.
In Sunday’s 33-10 triumph in Carolina, the Dallas Cowboys cornerback dived in front of a Bryce Young pass, grabbed it, sprang up, and ran to the end zone for his fourth pick-six of the season.
It equaled Bland for the most NFL interceptions returned for touchdowns in a season. He has four, joining Eagles’ Eric Allen (1993), Chiefs’ Jim Kearney (1972), and Oilers’ Ken Houston (1971).
Bland now seeks a record.
“It just makes another goal to break it,” Bland told the team’s website. “I thought, ‘Wow, I just did it,’ when I reached the end zone. I tied record. Now that I’m calm, I want to break it.
“Not about the record. Being remembered in history is key.”
Bland’s recovery quickness and ball skills produced the ideal scenario. Again on Sunday, a quarterback thought he could sneak a pass past the Cowboys’ corner, but Bland picked it up.
“It goes back to high school and playing receiver, always having the ball in my hands,” said he. “That’s a play I can make any other day.”
Who would replace Trevon Diggs in the Cowboys’ secondary after his season-ending knee ιnjury? Bland is that man, and not just for pick-sixes. Before Monday night, his 12 passes defensed and six INTs tied for seventh in the NFL.
