B.C. Lions: Why all-star Mathieu Betts is an effective wager to batter Bombers in West Division closing

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One participant doesn’t make a group, however a particular participant could make a significant affect.

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That’s what the B.C. Lions are relying on Saturday in Winnipeg, the place mild-mannered CFL all-star and sack king Mathieu Betts should as soon as once more flip right into a beast to beat down the Bombers within the West Division closing.

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“When it’s time to work, it’s time to work,” Betts mentioned Wednesday after observe. “It’s not a special personalty, it’s simply flipping the change.”

Or as teammate David Menard mentioned: “When he goes on the sector, he’s going to show you.”

If anyone is able to attending to Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, who led the league with 33 landing passes and ranked second in whole yardage at 4,263, it’s Betts.

The short, robust and harmful defensive finish established a sack commonplace for Canadian gamers this season with 18, surpassing the single-season mark held by Brent Johnson and Jamaal Westerman. Betts additionally had three sacks on June 22 when the Lions gained 30-6 in Winnipeg.

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Lions line of defense coach John Bowman is a two-time Gray Cup champion with the Montreal Alouettes (2009, 2019) and the CFL Corridor of Fame member is aware of about potential and longevity. He performed 14 seasons and noticed lots, however nothing fairly just like the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Betts — particularly when the ball is snapped.

“His get-off is particular and second to no person, and he doesn’t get drained,” mentioned Bowman. “If you play that quick and recuperate that quick, now we have a tough time getting him off the sector. He’s all the time able to go. He’s relentless. My get-off was good, however not that good.

“He has receiver-like potential to cease on a dime together with his agility. If there’s a gap, he’ll expose it. And when you don’t give him something, he’ll attempt to discover it. And he’s identical to me. He gained’t settle for any award as his personal. It’s all group accolades.”

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Betts rocketed from seven sacks final season to 18, and a whole lot of that needed to do with extra continuity throughout the group and higher roster cohesion.

“I performed good final yr, too, however we had the identical guys on the road this yr and the identical teaching employees,” burdened the 28-year-old Betts. “That made life simpler for me. I didn’t must adapt. I didn’t have to determine what I needed to do.

“My quickness is what opens up a whole lot of issues for me, so ideally, if I can have get-off and acknowledge the safety, that’s the place I will be my greatest.

“And now we have to play with excessive vitality and make sensible selections.”

The Lions should additionally take care of the Bombers’ robust working sport. Brady Oliveira had a league greatest 1,534 yards, averaged 5.9 yards per carry and completed with 9 touchdowns. At a collective 139.1 speeding yards per sport, the Bombers set a excessive commonplace. And working the ball properly typically decides playoff video games.

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If that isn’t sufficient, Oliveira additionally hauled in 38 catches for 482 yards and 4 majors.

“We should be aggressive clearly on the level of assault and be sound defensively with our gaps,” mentioned Betts, who’s a highschool bodily training trainer within the offseason. “If they’ve further blockers, now we have to maintain a transparent image for our linebackers to circulation.”

Betts was a free agent in 2022 and selected to depart Edmonton for Vancouver due to the membership’s route and Bowman was a participant he idolized rising up in Montreal.

Betts was a College of Laval product, who gave up hockey in Grade 12 to focus on soccer. He turned a two-time Vanier Cup champion (2016, 2018) and three-time winner of excellent lineman in USport. He would change into the third general choose within the 2019 CFL draft by Edmonton.

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“I heard about him at Laval and other people mentioned: ‘Hey, John. This participant is rather like you. It is best to examine him out,’” recalled Bowman. “Happily, Edmonton didn’t see it and let him go.”

Betts remembers testing Bowman when he attended video games as a younger professional soccer wannabe.

“I wasn’t listening to the method,” mentioned Betts. “It was the best way he carried himself and was a famous person in Montreal.”

Quick ahead and the pace and athleticism of right now’s CFL athletes is beautiful to Bowman.

“In my profession, it was much more simply going ahead and going left and proper,” he recalled. “Now, guys must be ready to go sideways and backwards and drop into protection. I give them credit score. They do extra right now than I might have needed to do once I performed. They play arduous, practise arduous and play for each other.

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So, can Betts be a difference-maker Saturday? Can he assist get the Lions to the Gray Cup in Hamilton?

“For positive,” mentioned Bowman. “Help and vitality is one thing he brings each play and we feed off that.”

EXTRA POINTS — Being named a CFL all-star Wednesday for the primary time wasn’t misplaced on Betts. “I’m actually proud for the work I’ve put in and everyone who invested time and believed in me,” he mentioned. “It’s not a me award. I really feel like I’m representing our D-line.”

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