Sunday’s NFL schedule featured a thrilling matchup between two NFC teams as the Washington Commanders took on the Atlanta Falcons.
For some fans, though, the game represented a different contest: the battle of Quebec.
With rookie guard Matthew Bergeron in the lineup for Atlanta, and Benjamin St-Juste, a third-year cornerback of the Commanders, on Washington’s side, the game marked the first time in years that two players from La Belle Province have faced off on opposite ends of an NFL field.
After the game concluded, the two Quebecers posed for a photo, proudly holding their jerseys.
“Two Quebec kids living out their dreams,” NFL Canada captioned the shot.
Two Québec kids living out their dreams. 🤝🇨🇦
Deux jeunes du Québec qui réalisent leur rêve. 🤝🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/SvgKqf9OCa
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) October 15, 2023
For those counting, the last time this kind of moment occurred was back in 2021 when former New York Jets guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff took on Antony Auclair of the Houston Texans.
As for this past Sunday’s result, in the end, St-Juste’s squad took the game by a score of 24-16, with the 26-year-old Montreal native logging six tackles and two defended passes in the game.
Meanwhile, Bergeron, who was selected 38th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2023 draft after making a name for himself as one of the best left tackles in college football, has seen recent success in his new position on the inside of the offensive line.
With Falcons left guard Matt Hennessy out with an injury, the 23-year-old Victoriaville native will get more chances to prove himself worthy of a permanent NFL spot as the season rolls on.
Funnily enough, Sunday’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers saw three players from Western Canada hit the field.
NFL Canada made sure to capture the moment, sharing a pre-game shot of Chase Claypool and Jevon Holland of the Dolphins posing with Chuba Hubbard of the Panthers on the field in Miami.
Western Canada represent. 🙌🇨🇦#FinsUp x #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/99MGEb1SjL
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) October 15, 2023
While it’s refreshing to see Canadians succeeding in the NFL, it is sure to become less of a rarity in the coming years. With a record-high of five Canadian players taken in the last draft alone, the league is looking more Canadian than ever.
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