Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Secures 41 tackles in limited year
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Bland finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (29 solo), five passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across seven games.
Bland was limited to just seven games in 2024 due to a foot injury, registering 41 stops, his lowest total in three seasons with the Cowboys. Additionally, after recording 14 interceptions between his first two seasons in the NFL, Bland was unable to secure an interception this season. The cornerback will look to get back on track in 2025, likely starting opposite of Trevon Diggs (knee) again in the Cowboys' secondary.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Six tackles against Philadelphia
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Bland registered six tackles (four solo) and one pass defense during Sunday's 41-7 loss to the Eagles.
It was a rough day defensively for the Cowboys, but Bland managed to finish tied with Andrew Booth for the third-most tackles on Dallas behind Malik Hooker and Eric Kendricks (nine each). Bland has logged at least five tackles in five of six games and is up to 34 tackles (22 solo), five pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Bland appears to be fully recovered from the stress fracture in his left foot that forced him to miss the first 10 games of the regular season. He'll try to register his first interception of the year against the Commanders on Sunday.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Makes game-clinching turnover
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Bland registered eight tackles (seven solo), one pass defense, and recovered a fumble that he forced in Sunday's 26-24 win over Tampa Bay.
Bland made the play of the game late in the fourth quarter, when he ripped the ball out of Rachaad White's hands with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Cowboys to kneel out the clock and secure the victory. Bland has played every single defensive snap over the Cowboys' last three games, and in the five games since being activated off IR due to a foot injury, he has registered 28 tackles (18 solo), four pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Good to go vs. Big Blue
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Bland (foot) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice and does not carry an injury designation into Thursday's NFC East showdown against the Giants, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Bland was limited during the Cowboys' two walkthroughs earlier this week, but he was able to participate in Wednesday's practice without restriction and is good to play Thursday. After missing the Cowboys' first 10 games of the regular season due to a foot injury he suffered in training camp, Bland returned for Week 12 against the Commanders this past Sunday and finished with six tackles (three solo) while playing 55 snaps on defense.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Making 2024 debut in Week 12
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Bland (foot) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Commanders, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Bland practiced in full all week and is now in line to make his 2024 debut Sunday after missing Dallas' first 10 games this season due to a foot injury sustained in late August. The third-year corner from Fresno State earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023, recording 69 total tackles and 15 passes defended, including nine interceptions (and five pick-sixes) across 17 regular-season games. If Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) is able to suit up in Week 12, the Cowboys will have their top outside cornerback duo for the first time this season.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Could return for Week 12
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Bland (foot) was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Up until Wednesday, Bland had not been able to participate in practice since his 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened Oct. 30. Granted, Wednesday's session was a walkthrough as the Cowboys played Monday night, but if Bland is able to practice in at least a limited capacity Thursday and Friday, he would be in a good spot to make his 2024 regular-season debut against the Commanders on Sunday.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Missing another week
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Bland (foot) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Eagles, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Bland has yet to practice since being activated to the Cowboys' active roster Oct. 30 as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his left foot. Caelen Carson and C.J. Goodwin will likely continue seeing increased work with the Cowboys' first-team secondary until Bland can return to the field.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Has yet to return to practice
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Bland (foot) was listed as a DNP on the Cowboys' injury report Wednesday, Joe Hoyt of AllDLLS.com reports.
Although Bland was activated off injured reserve Oct. 30, he has yet to return to practice while recovering from a stress fracture in his left foot that he sustained in training camp. Even if he's able to practice in a limited capacity this week, it appears the 2022 fifth-round pick is unlikely to play against the Eagles on Sunday.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Won't play Sunday
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Bland (foot) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Falcons.
The third-year corner from Fresno State was activated from injured reserve Wednesday; however, it appears that his foot issue is still bothering him enough to miss the Cowboys' Week 9 contest. Bland's 2024 debut will have to wait at least one more week, with Andrew Booth and Caelen Carson expected to see increased work in the Cowboys' secondary in Bland's stead.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Not practicing after bye week
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Bland (foot) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice report.
Bland was designated for return from injured reserve Oct. 9, and he started his 21-day evaluation window with two straight full practices. However, he didn't participate in the Cowboys' final session of Week 6 and remains a spectator coming out of the team's Week 7 bye. Bland's continued absence from practice doesn't bode well for his chances of being activated from IR ahead of Sunday's game against the 49ers, but the Cowboys will wait and see if he's able to get in in any on field-work Thursday or Friday before ruling on his status. Bland has to be activated off IR before Oct. 30, otherwise the cornerback would be forced to sit out for the rest of the 2024 campaign.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Returns without restriction
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Bland (foot) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice session, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Bland was placed on injured reserve at the conclusion of training camp due to a stress fracture in his left foot. Jon Machota of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't expect Bland to play in Week 6 against the Lions. However, Bland's full participation in Wednesday's practice indicates that the 2022 fifth-round pick could make his regular-season debut Sunday, barring any setbacks. In 2023, Bland led the NFL with nine interceptions, and his five pick-sixes are an NFL single-season record.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Gets go-ahead to practice
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Dallas opened Bland's (foot) 21-day practice window to return from its injured reserve list Wednesday.
Bland has missed the first five games of the year as he's been recovering from a surgery he underwent before the regular season began, but it looks like he could finally be on his way back to action. If the Cowboys don't activate him within the next 21 days, however, he'd have to spend the rest of the year on their injured reserve list.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Placed on IR, can return
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The Cowboys placed Bland (foot) on injured reserve Tuesday, with a designation to return.
Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports that Bland had surgery on his foot Monday and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks, which suggest he'll be back at some point in October or early November. The 25-year-old had a remarkable 2023 campaign, setting a single-season record for pick-sixes (five) while leading the league with nine interceptions.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Out 6-to-8 weeks due to foot injury
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Bland was diagnosed Saturday with a stress fracture in his left foot that will require surgery, and he is expected to miss the next 6-to-8 weeks, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bland first began experiencing foot discomfort last Wednesday and consequently underwent imaging. The tests revealed a stress fracture, and the surgery to repair the injury will likely keep him out of action until at least early October. Bland was set to start at cornerback this season after establishing an NFL record with five pick-sixes among his league-leading nine interceptions over 17 regular-season contests in his sophomore campaign in 2023. The 25-year-old will likely be replaced as a starter at the beginning of the season by either Caelen Carson or Andrew Booth.
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.
