Cowboys: Could CB DaRon Bland (really) win D.P.O.Y?
Originally posted on A to Z Sports
By Mauricio Rodriguez | Last updated 11/20/23
Cornerback DaRon Bland has scored so much for the Dallas Cowboys this year that Dak Prescott joked he was a part of his offense.
Four pick-sixes are no easy feat, which is why only four players (Bland included) have ever done it in NFL history. That explains why some might be thinking about adding Bland to the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
Take Trevon Diggs, for example, who put him in the conversation with a post on Twitter/X after the game on Sunday:
My A to Z Sports’ colleague Tyler Browning wrote about Bland being a legitimate candidate eight weeks into the season.
“I ain’t got no thoughts on (making the First-Team All-Pro),” Bland told reporters postgame, indicating that he’s not going to campaign for himself to win D.P.O.Y. either.
But is he a candidate or are we all just caught up in the moment of Bland’s magical run? Let’s get to an answer.
Did those with four pick-sixes before DaRon Bland get a D.P.O.Y?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No one even got close to one. Let’s dive into the Pro Football Reference files.
1971, Ken Houston (HOU Oilers): On top of four pick-sixes, Houston finished the season with 9 picks total. He also had two fumble recoveries, one of which was a scoop-and-score. Houston received no votes for the award, as it instead went to Alan Page (who got nine sacks) in the award’s first-ever year. Page was also named league MVP, one of two in NFL history.
1972, Jim Kearney (KC Chiefs): Aside from Mean Joe Greene (who won the award), 14 other players received votes. Jim Kearney didn’t. Even a teammate of his got votes, LB Willie Lanier.
1993, Eric Allen (PHI Eagles): He did get one vote with six total picks to his name. But Rod Woodson from the Steelers ended up with 35. Six others had more votes than Allen, as well.
History isn’t on Bland’s side for this one and I don’t blame it. Pick-sixes are significant but it’s proven to be not enough to put your name in the most coveted award for a defender.
Who is more valuable to his defense? Parsons or Bland?
This is perhaps where the conversation sheds some light on the why voters won’t put too much weight into Bland’s defensive scores.
The Defensive Player of the Year plays the part of a defensive MVP-type award in today’s league, where the real MVP trophy is essentially a “Best QB” award.
Having said that, you’d have a tough time arguing that Bland is more valuable than Micah Parsons is in this unit. The latter is a force that makes an impact on a down-to-down basis thanks to his relentless pass rush. He’s one of the sack leaders in the league, plays that usually kill offensive drives.
He’s arguably the best defender in the entire NFL. I don’t think we’ll see a single voter cast a ballot with Bland’s name over Parsons’ when the time comes.
That’s also probably why it is very rare for a defensive back to win D.P.O.Y. these days. Only Stephon Gilmore (2019) has done it since 2011.
If there’s one strong argument you can make for Bland, however, is the EPA he’s taken away from offenses when they target him. Per Next Gen Stats, it’s the second-best since 2016.
D.P.O.Y. odds: Can Bland win it?
According to DraftKings, Bland is the 10th favorite to win the award at +7500. That means a $100 bet would make you $7,500. That’s a huge difference between him and the top three favorites:
Myles Garrett +120
Micah Parsons +200
T.J. Watt +250
As I explained above, Cowboys Nation shouldn’t expect Bland to be a strong candidate for D.P.O.Y. based on how we (and voters) perceive the award.
The good news is that doesn’t take away anything in the slightest from Bland’s remarkable run. It also doesn’t seem to take any sort of motivation away from him.
“I gotta add some more,” Bland said after his fourth pick-six of the year.
This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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