Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

'Ain't Nothin' Special!' DaRon Bland Reacts To Ups and Downs in Win

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Jonathan Alfano | Last updated 12/1/23

The Dallas Cowboys may have waltzed into Thursday night's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks with an 8-3 record, but there were two major catches with that record.

The first is that all of the Cowboys' wins have come against teams under .500, with their opponents in those games combining for a record of 24-55 (only counting the New York Giants once). The second was that all of those wins, save for a 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 16, came in blowout fashion, leading to some doubts about Dallas' ability to win close games.

With their win on Thursday, though, the Cowboys managed to ease both of those concerns. Not only do is Seattle, now at 6-6, the best opponent Dallas has beaten all year, but it did so in a 41-35 shootout.

In order to prepare for playoff football, the Cowboys believe close games like this are essential.

“It just reminds you nothing is easy in this league. We needed a game like this to keep us prepared for the long run after this,” cornerback DaRon Bland told reporters after the game.

This game wasn't just a challenge for the Cowboys, but Bland specifically. Bland, who won NFC Defensive Player of the Month after setting an NFL record with five pick sixes this season, was torched in the first half with five receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown allowed on six targets. However, he showed resilience in the second half and earned his league-leading eighth interception of the season.

"No, it ain't nothing special," Bland said. "Didn't have a great first half, you know. Just tried to make it up in the second half. That's all it was."

The Cowboys are a near-lock to make the playoffs at this point, so the rest of the season can be seen as a tune up for the big dance. In that regard, Thursday's win was a big step in the preparation process.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: