The Dallas Cowboys sorely missed their All-Pro nickel cornerback, DaRon Bland, as a poor defensive display allowed Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to put up 31 points on them, with the Cowboys eventually losing by a three-score margin.
The team decided to use Reddy Stewart and other safeties in the slot in Bland’s absence, but it seems that, ahead of what will be the team’s most challenging game this season to date – with perhaps the exception of the season opener against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles – they may have some good news at last.
Per Melissa Stark, speaking as a guest on 105.3 The Fan, Bland stated that he would “for sure” be playing on Sunday night.
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Yesterday I did talk to DaRon Bland…he’s going to play, obviously for sure.” Stark said on Thursday.
“I think he thinks that its just a couple of communication issues here and there, and that him coming back will make a massive difference. ”
When asked to clarify if it was the case that Bland was certainly going to play, Stark was pretty clear.
“That’s what he told me.”
DaRon Bland Confirms He Will Play On Sunday
After returning to practice on Wednesday, albeit in a limited form, and being listed as “questionable” midweek, there was cautious optimism that the Fresno State alum would be available come the big SNF game in Green Bay.
Jerry Jones stated on Tuesday that he believed that there was a “good chance” that Bland would suit up on Sunday, whilst head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, echoed those remarks, stating that the 2023 interceptions leader was “trending towards playing”.
And now, according to the man himself, he will once again return to the field to face one of the more complicated offensive setups in the NFL.
What Will The Cowboys’ Secondary Look Like In Week 4?
There is always a chance that Bland won’t play, given that players can sometimes be a little over-optimistic about their on-field return dates. Case in point, All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, believed last Sunday night that he could return as early as this coming Sunday before being ruled out for 3-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, which was originally suffered against the Bears on a designed run.
But, more likely than not, if a player is trending towards playing and then confirms it to a media member with the line “for sure”, it would be surprising to not see them on the field come this weekend.
The optimism is not quite as high for the situation regarding fellow All-Pro boundary cornerback, Trevon Diggs, who missed Wednesday’s practice as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
Backup Trikweze Bridges was also limited in practice yesterday, and could also end up missing the game, which would force Dallas to make a decision between starting veteran CJ Goodwin beside Kair Elam, or moving Bland to the outside and slotting in Reddy Steward once more on the inside.
Either way, the team will look a lot better if Diggs is able to return – but things have certainly seemingly taken a turn for the better.
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