DaRon Bland used the Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving Day game to write himself into the history books.
The Cowboys cornerback set the NFL single-season record on Thursday with his fifth pick-six of the year, intercepting Commanders quarterback Sam Howell and evading multiple would-be tacklers on a 63-yard return to pay dirt.
“To have the fans, the family, the coaches there and do it on Thanksgiving Day is another thing to be thankful for,” Bland said postgame on CBS. “On that play, I saw the ball, saw the receiver run an out route and I just had to go get it. And then, all I saw was open field.”
The score added yet another cause for celebration at the tail end of a 45-10 thumping of Washington, and it pushed Bland past Eric Allen (1993), Jim Kearny (1972) and Ken Houston (1971) — the three men he tied with his fourth interception TD just last week.
Bland’s big play also vaulted the second-year cornerback into first in Cowboys franchise history for career pick-sixes, per NFL Research.
It’s just the latest magnificent feat in a season chock full of them for Bland, who was thrust into the starting lineup following Trevon Diggs‘ torn ACL during practice ahead of Week 3.
Since then, Bland has emerged as one of the league’s preeminent playmakers on defense.
He now has 48 tackles, 13 passes defensed and seven interceptions on the season.
Bland’s yet to go more than two consecutive games without a defensive touchdown dating back to Week 1, and he still has six more regular-season contests to attempt to add to his jaw-dropping mark.
