Cowboys News: Bland’s feet kickstarted record run, what to watch vs Seattle, Jason Witten on verge of first championship

The Cowboys look to be very near full strength when they square off against Seattle on Thursday night, though they do have an important decision to make about a promising second-year tight end. We’ve got the latest injury news for both sides, plus which key matchups could well decide this game that will likely have major ramifications in the NFC playoff picture.

Elsewhere, we check out DaRon Bland’s place in history, his chances at earning a big accolade, and what little adjustment he made that has paid off with a huge statistical season. We’ll explore the symbiotic relationship between a suffocating pass rush and a shut-down secondary, we’ll look at Micah Parsons’s chances at taking down the single-season sack record, and we’ll all keep waiting while Shaq Leonard mulls things over. All that, plus one particularly problematic ex-rival calls it a career, Deion Sanders could be facing tough times in Boulder, and Jason Witten is on the cusp of being called a football champion for the first time ever. Here’s your News and Notes.

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As expected, Leonard will reportedly choose between the Cowboys and Eagles over the weekend. The linebacker’s visit to Philadelphia on Wednesday did not result in an immediate deal.

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Parsons is apparently past his illness, and Jayron Kearse appears to be making good on his “200%” promise to play. All Cowboys were full participants on Wednesday. Seattle has declared guard Phil Haynes out; receiver Dareke Young and Walker are both doubtful. Leonard Williams, Will Dissly, and Dee Eskridge are questionable.

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After originally giving Peyton Hendershot no gameday designation for an NFC showdown at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, the Cowboys later changed the second-year tight end’s status to questionable. But if the club doesn’t move him to the active roster soon, they’ll be forced to place him back on injured reserve, this time officially ending his season.

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Look for Bobby Wagner to try to limit Tony Pollard’s between-the-tackles success on Thursday, and expect CeeDee Lamb to see a lot of Devon Witherspoon in coverage. And in the trenches, Terence Steele versus Boye Mafe should be a battle worth watching.

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To have a real chance at Michael Strahan’s 2001 record of 22.5 sacks, Parsons is a bit of a long shot at just barely past halfway there. He can get hot, as he showed last year with six games with at least two sacks. But he’s never had 11.5 over a six-game span. Parsons is on pace for 17 or 18 sacks in 2023.

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Besides being the Cowboys’ all-time leader in career pick-sixes, Bland is already 40% of the way to Rod Woodson’s all-time record… in 210 fewer games. As for garden-variety interceptions, he’s sitting in 26th place among all Cowboys ever; with just two more, he’ll be in the top 20.

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Bland credits defensive backs coach Al Harris with his dramatically improved play and stats this season. Along with convincing Bland to trust his eyes on the field and believing in his skills, Harris also made a tweak to Bland’s pre-snap stance. The small change to his footwork has resulted in better technique in man coverage, an NFL record, and even talk of an end-of-year award.

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Next Gen Stats gives Bland a 66% probability of making his first Pro Bowl this year. He’s also within reach of Stephon Gilmore’s 2019 record for fewest target EPA allowed in a season, though he’ll have to gain some ground… maybe via few more pick-sixes.

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Micah Parsons has more pressures than anyone in the league, and his presence opens up opportunities for other pass rushers around him; the team has the highest pass rush win rate in the NFL. That means the clock is ticking for any opposing quarterback every time he drops back… and the Cowboys secondary is ready to pounce on the slightest mistake. A sack is great, but a pick-six equates, in EPA, to nearly five sacks. Pressure kills on either end of the equation.

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Prescott has been better (in EPA and success rate) on third down this season than any quarterback since 2017. Even with defenses shifting toward more bend-but-don’t-break schemes, Prescott and the Cowboys attack have found a way to post gaudy numbers without being needlessly reckless downfield.

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The Hall of Fame tight end has guided his high school program to the TAPPS D2 State Championship. It’s a huge turnaround since winning just two games in 2021, his first year on the job. The Liberty Christian Warriors have gone undefeated this season, beating their opponents by a cumulative score of 664-86. A win Friday would be the first championship for Witten at any level of the sport.

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The Cowboys legend brought energy and hope to a moribund Buffaloes program, making for a great story during the first month of the season. But reality set in over the course of a 4-8 campaign, and several Pac-12 coaches think things are “gonna get dark” for Sanders next year. Most blame poor offensive and defensive line talent, while others pointed to an expected exodus of key assistant coaches and a lackluster class of incoming recruits.

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The 15-year veteran wide receiver made a career out of terrorizing the Cowboys as a player in both Philadelphia and Washington, among other places. He’ll retire on Friday and serve as an honorary Eagles captain when they face the 49ers on Sunday. Jackson amassed 1,330 yards against Dallas- his most against any team, by a lot- and scored six touchdowns in 18 head-to-head meetings.