ARLINGTON, TX – The Dallas Cowboys are now 9-3 after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 41-35. The win was all based on the Cowboys’ offense rallying until the very end to get the team’s 14th consecutive home win.
Dallas’ defense had a very “bend but don’t break” game, rallying together in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. On the stat sheet, the defense was still productive, having one sack, six quarterback hits, and one interception.
DaRon Bland’s Redemption Interception
That interception came from DaRon Bland, who had one of his toughest games this season. In the first half, Bland was targeted six times and allowed five receptions for 137 yards and one touchdown.
That touchdown was to DK Metcalf for a 73-yard house call, which is not something the second-year player usually allows to happen.
Bland was also responsible for a massive defensive pass interference call that allowed Seattle to score ahead of halftime. In fact, the officials called six defensive pass interference calls out of the 19 total penalties in the game.
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But the real storyline should be the second-year player’s ability to bounce back after what could have been a deflating first half.
Although the Cowboys’ offense didn’t score after Bland’s interception, it ultimately prevented the Seahawks from putting more points on the board at that point in the game.
“[I] didn’t have a great first half. Just tried to make it up in the second half. That’s all it was,” said Bland.
INT machine = @DaRon_Bland 🔥
📺: Prime & NFL+ → https://t.co/yLMhJNTZjs pic.twitter.com/T14Pv9KjGM
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 1, 2023
Overall, the second half was a better showing for Dallas’ defense, which minimized the number of explosive plays.
Bland credited everyone around him for a more productive second half, adding, “When we stick together, we can do amazing things. Like we showed in the second half, we stuck together and made the plays.”
The Seahawks were the most challenging team the Cowboys have faced for the last few weeks. Seattle challenged all aspects of Dallas’ game and played physically, mainly since their playoff contention heavily relied on a win.
However, Bland’s ability to bounce back, especially as a young player, should tell you everything you need to know about the mindset he keeps during the highs and lows.
Bland’s Career So Far
Bland’s showing during this game shouldn’t be a reason to panic. He was named Defensive Player of the Month in November, adding to the list of honors the second-year CB has to his name.
Just last week, Bland broke the NFL record for the most pick-sixes in a season with five. He also has the most interceptions on the team so far this season with eight.
So, even though Bland didn’t have the best night, his ability to stay even-keeled should say more than anything that happened during the game.
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