BC Lions’ Quebecer Mathieu Betts had two more quarterback sacks Monday night. He is expected to take on the Canadian Football League leaders Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes with an impressive total of seven sacks in four games.
“I really don’t think you can think too much about those stats,” Betts said in an interview posted to the CFL’s website last week. The bags are coming, but it’s still early in the season.
• Also read: A strange game to end a bizarre week with the Alouettes
To illustrate how dominant the former Université Laval Rouge et Or is on the Lions defensive line, the record for most sacks in a season in the CFL is 26.5 and was set in 1984 by a former Lions color bearer, James Parker. set up. The latter had averaged 1.66 sacks per game that 16-game season.
Betts’ current average is 1.75 and — bad news for the Alouettes — Cody Fajardo is one of the most-attacked quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage. That’s happened 15 times to the Sparrows’ offensive pivot, who was also the sacked quarterback in the CFL in 2022 while wearing the CFL jersey. Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Photo DAVE CHIDLEY / Supplied by CFL
“I’m not going to freak out if I don’t get sacks for a couple of games,” Betts said. The other guys can get it too, that’s not a problem for me.
A future in the NFL?
One thing is certain: the Quebecer will be closely watched on Sunday against the Alouettes (2-1), his childhood team. He could cause a lot of headaches for the Montreal club’s attacking line, then Fajardo, literally. At the same time, despite his 28 years, Betts will no doubt continue to attract the attention of certain clubs in the NFL.
As colleague Stéphane Cadorette reported a few months ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Chargers had a special eye on the Quebecer last year.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve really given up on the NFL, but I haven’t gotten up every morning and thought about it either,” was then expressed in January when the 2019 Chicago Bears were released. My focus has always been to be the best possible player to help my team.
That’s what Betts is currently doing in British Columbia.
Vernon Adam’s Son and the Interceptions
In addition to the Quebecer, the Alouettes fans are likely to pay special attention to the Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. on Sunday.
Vernon Adams Jr. Photo Kevin Sousa/Supplied by CFL
This former Alouettes player has done reasonably well since the start of the season, rushing for 1,249 passyards in four games and leading his team to a 3-1 record. However, Adams Jr. threw six interceptions in Monday’s 45-24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. Yes, six! That’s exactly what we accused the quarterback of when he played for the Alouettes: his annoying habit of getting rid of the ball dangerously.
When Fajardo stacks the sacks against him, he’s had at least one interception in three games with Montreal.