"Bland filled the void as a decorated starter with terrific ability. Bland was great in all phases and showed great versatility. First, he provided a lot in tackling in open space. Early in the game, after Washington went up 8-7, Bland chased down Jayden Daniels on the quarterback keeper during a two-point conversion attempt to make sure Daniels didn't convert the try."
"He also made a tackle on Jeremy McNichols to ensure that the defense forced a punt. Then, Bland was tasked with defending Washington's best available receivers and was also matched up on Zach Ertz, who played very well against him in man coverage. Bland also capped off a physical afternoon with a pick-six on Marcus Mariota, playing in relief of Daniels, to record his first interception return for touchdown since 2023, when he had five and earned All-Pro honors."
Both teams entered the game hampered by injuries, with the Cowboys missing cornerback Trevon Diggs and the Commanders without receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. Dallas relied on backups Kaiir Elam and Trikweze Bridges, elevating DaRon Bland's importance. Bland contributed across multiple phases, making open-field tackles, chasing down Jayden Daniels on a two-point conversion attempt, and forcing a punt with a tackle on Jeremy McNichols. He defended top available receivers, matched up against Zach Ertz in man coverage, and capped the afternoon with a pick-six off Marcus Mariota—his first interception return for a touchdown since 2023—providing a crucial turnover.
Read at Blogging The Boys
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