After falling 24-20 in the season opener at the hands of the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Schottenheimer and his Dallas Cowboys are looking to grab their first win of the 2025 season. They will host the New York Giants on Sunday in Week 2 action.
When they take the field, they could be shorthanded on the defensive side of the ball, exactly what a team that traded Micah Parsons just before the start of the season needed to hear.
DaRon Bland could be out for a couple of weeks due to a right foot injury that he sustained in Monday’s practice. Schottenheimer discussed this and other happenings with the Cowboys following Wednesday’s practice.
Bland, a cornerback, came to the Cowboys following his draft selection in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and also made the Pro Bowl. Before that, he played at Sacramento State before transferring to Fresno State for his final season.
The Cowboys are trying to figure out how to manage the loss of Parsons, who went to Green Bay and recorded his first sack with the team in a win over the Lions. Bland recorded three tackles in the loss to the Eagles, with two of them recorded as solo.
In his career, he has 167 tackles, with 122 of them solo. He also has 14 interceptions, with nine of them coming in 2023, which led the NFL.
The Cowboys will take on the New York Giants, who did not score a touchdown in Week 1. It was the third straight season the Giants did not reach the end zone in their season opener. Russell Wilson is behind center, and the offense seemed to have no flow throughout the game.
The loss of Bland is scary for Dallas, as they will still have to contain Malik Nabers, the top receiving threat for the Giants. Nabers caught five passes for 71 yards in the 21-6 loss to Washington.
Following this Week 2 affair, the Giants will host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, before the Los Angeles Chargers come to town on Sept. 28.
