DaRon Bland of the Dallas Cowboys returns an interception for a touchdown in the game against the Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas.
DaRon Bland served up some history on Thanksgiving.
The Dallas Cowboys cornerback set an NFL single-season record with his fifth interception returned for a touchdown.
Bland intercepted Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell and returned it 63 yards in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 45-10 win on Thanksgiving to become the pick-6 king. Bland stepped in front of a pass intended for Jahan Dotson and avoided multiple tackle attempts before entering the end zone and the history books.
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“Actually, I wanted to show my teammates my return skills,” Bland told reporters after the game. “That’s what they said, ‘We’ve seen a lot of pick-6s, we got to see one with return skills.’ Hopefully, I showed them.”
Bland, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, tied the record last week with a fourth-quarter pick-6 against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. He matched the mark set by Eric Allen of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1993, Jim Kearney of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1972 and Ken Houston of the Houston Oilers in 1971.
Bland also had a 22-yard pick-6 in Week 1 against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants, a 54-yard pick-6 in Week 4 against Mac Jones and the New England Patriots and a 30-yard pick-6 in Week 8 against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
NFL
Bland, who as a rookie had five interceptions, now leads the league this season with seven through the Cowboys' first 11 games.
He also now has the second-most touchdowns on the Cowboys this season, trailing only wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had his seventh touchdown reception of the season on Thursday.
But it was Bland who once again who looked like the star wideout on Thursday as he evaded tacklers on his way to a historic touchdown.
“I wasn’t going to be denied on that one,” Bland said.
