The Dallas Cowboys’ DaRon Bland’s fifth pick-6 this season was a 63-yarder that broke a tie with three players and punctuated a 45-10 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday.
Bland apparently had not done quite enough while tying the NFL record for interception returns for a touchdown in a season.
His teammates wanted to see a little more. So the unheralded fifth-round pick from the Fresno State Bulldogs gave it to them — while taking the record all for himself.
Photo: AFP
Twice, it appeared that the Commanders might tackle him before the end zone on the fourth-quarter play, but after quarterback Sam Howell could not get him down, receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Brian Robinson Jr collided trying to do the same.
Bland coasted the final dozen or so yards into NFL history.
“Actually, I wanted to show my teammates my return skills,” Bland said. “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.”
Photo: AP
Consider his teammates impressed.
“Michael Vick-style, made them collide,” quarterback Dak Prescott said of the move on McLaurin and Robinson after Bland had stepped in front of a pass intended for Jahan Dotson along the Dallas sideline.
Bland came into the game sharing the NFL record of four with the Philadelphia Eagle’s Eric Allen (1993), the Kansas City Chief’s Jim Kearney (1972) and the Houston Oiler’s Ken Houston (1971).
Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY
While the scoring is something new, the interceptions are not. Bland led the Cowboys with five interceptions as a rookie and has seven so far this season.
“From every opportunity he’s been given, he’s just been so steady, so professional,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “His play-making ability is special.”
The scoring spree started in the opener when Trevon Diggs’ hit on star New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley popped the ball into the air and into the arms of Bland for a 22-yard score.
After the 2021 All-Pro Diggs sustained a season-ending knee injury in practice less than two weeks later, Bland just kept right on scoring.
The next was a 54-yarder off the New England Patriot’s Mac Jones in week 4, followed by one for 30 yards against Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams in week 8.
Now Bland has a streak going. The fourth was another 30-yarder, against this season’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
To his teammates’ point, all of the previous four were straight shots into an open field once he made the catch, including a diving grab on Young’s throw.
Howell appeared to have him measured for a tackle as Bland sprinted down the Dallas sideline. After he cut inside, there seemed to be too much traffic with McLaurin and Robinson closing in.
Apparently not.
“I wasn’t going to be denied on that one,” Bland said.
With the game on Thanksgiving Day, Bland said that his family was in the stadium to see the record.
He said he was trying to get into one of the oversized Salvation Army kettles himself after the score, but his teammates picked him up and “messed me all up.”
The game was out of reach before Bland’s play, so Prescott and right guard Zack Martin were already eating a turkey leg on the sideline — something Prescott said was planned if the team were comfortably ahead.
There was a turkey leg waiting for Bland after making history.
“I got my own,” he said. “It was good, too.”
In Detroit, Michigan, Jordan Love set the tone with a 53-yard pass to Christian Watson on the first snap and finished with a career-high-tying three touchdowns, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 29-22 win over the National Football Conference North-leading Lions.
The Packers (5-6) were in control of a game they never trailed, taking advantage of Jared Goff’s career-high three fumbles — returning one for a score in the first quarter — and Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness on fourth down.
Detroit (8-3) went for it five times on fourth down and only converted once on the final touchdown drive.
In Seattle, Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers built a 21-point lead by halftime as they rolled past the Seattle Seahawks 31-13.
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