Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland cemented his place in NFL history on Thursday when he became the league’s all-time leader in pick-sixes in a single season.
During the fourth quarter of Dallas’ Thanksgiving Day tilt against the Commanders, Bland jumped the route on a pass from Sam Howell and returned the interception all the way to the end zone.
The pick-six was his fifth of the season, the most by any player in a single season in league history.
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo were the commentators on the CBS broadcast, and Nantz’s call perfectly captured the excitement of the moment as Bland broke free and evaded a tackle before getting into the end zone.
“There it is! This is history! If Bland can take it the distance, this will be the record!” said Nantz. “Bland for the fifth time has a pick-six. That’s never happened in the history of the NFL!”
RECORD-BREAKIN' BLAND 🗣️👑@DaRon_Bland | 📺 CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/qIfaBJIoqw
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 24, 2023
After a pick-six last week, Bland put himself in a deadlock with the likes of Eric Allen, Jim Kearney, and Ken Houston for the all-time record with four interceptions returned for touchdowns in a single campaign. Following his late pick-six against Howell, Bland now stands alone in league history.
13 teams across the league have yet to return a single interception for a touchdown this season. Bland now has five on his own, and the Cowboys still have six games left in the season for him to potentially build upon his historic tally.
