Playing cornerback in the NFL is no easy task, but DaRon Bland had a particularly rough night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. His struggles contributed to the Dallas Cowboys’ 24-16 home loss to a team that had gone winless over the last four weeks of football.
Aqib Talib, a Super Bowl champion who knows the demands of the position, wasn’t impressed with what he saw from Bland and made his feelings clear on where exactly the Cowboys corner went wrong.
Aqib Talib Blasts DaRon Bland for His Coverage Struggles
Speaking on the “Gridiron” Podcast, Talib said, “Golly, you [Bland] ain’t covering nothing this year, bro. You on the ground, like that’s embarrassing. You can get routed all you want. You cannot be on the [expletive] ground.”
When Skip Bayless asked if Bland had been faked out on the play, Talib replied, “Yes, he got faked out. He got the [expletive] juked out of him, and he fell on the ground.”
The former CB continued his criticism, adding, “Your technique is terrible. You weave and backpedal. That’s just bad, bro. That was a terrible rep right there.”
Talib was referring to a play that occurred in the third quarter with 9:36 remaining.
Following a Dak Prescott interception, Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels lined up in the shotgun, and wide receiver Tez Johnson ran a deep seam route up the right side of the field.
Bland, who was responsible for covering Johnson, fell when the receiver broke to the right, leaving him wide open. The play resulted in a 64-yard completion and set up a Bucky Irving rushing touchdown that put Tampa Bay ahead 21-10.
That wasn’t Bland’s only costly mistake on the night.
Earlier, Dallas had a chance to get off the field on third-and-five when Shemar James broke through for a sack. However, Bland was called for defensive holding, giving Tampa Bay a first down and allowing the Buccaneers to extend the drive and eventually tie the game 7-7.
His most notable mistake came at a crucial point in the game. After Dak Prescott and the offense marched down the field to cut the deficit to eight points, Bland and the defense needed a stop.
Late in the fourth quarter, Bland jumped in front of an out route intended for Emeka Egbuka. Had he caught the ball in stride, he could have returned it for a pick-six and made up for his earlier mistakes. Instead, he dropped the interception.
Tampa Bay eventually punted, but Bland missed a chance to give Dallas a defensive touchdown.
Overall, Bland allowed 91 yards in the game, contributing to his No. 90 ranking among cornerbacks with a PFN CB Impact Score of 65.9.
Dallas’ defense has struggled this season, and Bland’s performance has been part of the problem.
Bland and the Cowboys will have extra time to regroup before their next game, a road matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 18.
