CHARLOTTE -- DaRon Bland said he wants to make the pick-six his thing. Well, he just tied an NFL record with his fourth return for a touchdown on the season.
Bland undercut a Bryce Young throw to receiver Jonathan Mingo, completed a somersault and then sprinted 30 yards to the end zone to give the Cowboys a 30-10 fourth-quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers.
INT No. 6️⃣
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 19, 2023
Pick-six No. 4️⃣ @DaRon_Bland 😱 pic.twitter.com/nkERULUdK2
Bland joined Eric Allen (1993), Ken Houston (1971) and Jim Kearney (1972) as the only defenders with four pick-sixes in a season. With the touchdown, Bland is tied with tight end Jake Ferguson for the second-most touchdowns by a Cowboy this season. Receiver CeeDee Lamb leads the Cowboys with six touchdowns.
Bland had a pick-six in the season-opening 40-0 win against the New York Giants, taking back a Daniel Jones pass 22 yards after Trevon Diggs hit Saquon Barkley so hard the ball popped in the air. His second came against the New England Patriots when quarterback Mac Jones tried to throw back across the field to Kendrick Bourne. Bland returned that one 54 yards for a score. His third came against the Los Angeles Rams when Matthew Stafford was off on a throw to Cooper Kupp and Bland returned it 30 yards for a score.
Bland has 11 interceptions in his first two seasons, most in the NFL over that period.