Coming in as a fifth-round pick, cornerback DaRon Bland impressed in the preseason and the opportunities opened up for him in the regular season. When Jourdan Lewis went down for the season, Bland stepped into his role and there was no noticeable drop-off at the nickel corner.
Bland had his coming-out party against the Colts with two interceptions, but his play was stellar up to that point regardless. Now, he has his fourth pick of the season. Trevor Lawrence thought he had Christian Kirk for a big gainer, but Bland cut off the pass and got the Cowboys’ second takeaway of the day.
#Cowboys rookie DaRon Bland with his 4th INT of the season. Gets Trevor Lawrence here.
Lawrence hasn't thrown a pick in 5 weeks. pic.twitter.com/3ywHgZF549
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 18, 2022
Bland’s interception set up Dallas at the Jacksonville 44-yard line and the drive was stifled after a near miss downfield between quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Tony Pollard. Kicker Brett Maher continued his impressive season with a 53-yard field goal, making it a three-possession game at 27-10.