Dave Naylor: Canadian NFL talent shines on banner Sunday

In the history of the National Football League, there has never been a day like Sunday, November 3, 2024 for Canadians.

It was a day where the Canadiens had five touchdowns, three and a half sacks and a forced fumble.

And these are just the highlights.

Over the past few years, the number of Canadians in the NFL has been growing – not only in numbers, but also in terms of prominent roles on their teams, on both sides of the ball.

That’s part of what made last Sunday so special. Success was not limited to one side of the ball or several positions. It was everywhere.

The NFL currently has two Canadians in the starting lineup, and both had big wins for their teams on Sunday.

Chase Brown, London, Ontario. native, had a career-high 120 yards, five catches for 37 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season to help the Bengals beat the Raiders.

While that was happening, Chuba Hubbard of Sherwood Park, Alta., rushed for 72 yards for Carolina in their win over New Orleans, crossing the goal line twice to match Brown with six carries on the season.

None of this should surprise anyone who followed their college careers: Hubbard led the NCAA in rushing for Oklahoma State in 2019, while Brown finished second three years later at Illinois. Both players have track experience, elite speed and the ability to complement their rushing skills by catching the ball out of bounds.

At 25 and 24, respectively, their best years are yet to come.

The same could be said for the other two scorers on the day, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer of Brampton, Ont., and New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson of Windsor, Ont.

Palmer, 25, caught a 28-yard pass from Justin Herbert to put Los Angeles up 7-0 in their win over Cleveland, and rookie Johnson, 23, had three catches for 51 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown. catch.

The Canadian stars also performed on defense and special teams.

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Tavius ​​Robinson, 25, had a pair of sacks in the Ravens’ win over Denver, giving him 3.5 points on the season. Robinson, who began his college football career at the University of Guelph and graduated from the University of Mississippi, has found his place on a team known for its ferocious defensive style, which led one of his coaches to call him a “glassoid” last summer “.

Joining Robinson is Arizona Cardinals midfielder Jesse Luketa, 25, an Ottawa native who has been active on defense since being active during game days in early October. Rams defensive end Michael Hoecht, 27, who was born in Oakville, Ont., and grew up in other parts of the province, had a half-sack in his team’s win over Seattle.

Montreal native Benjamin St. Just, 27, cornerback for the Washington Commanders, had six tackles in his team’s win over the Giants. And three weeks after returning from offseason ACL surgery, Eagles linebacker Sidney Brown, Chase’s twin brother, forced a fumble on special teams, where he played most of the snaps while he worked his way back into football shape.

There was a time when the rare Canadians in the NFL played mostly specialty roles on special teams or as backups on the offensive and defensive lines.

But this generation grew up with an outlook on all areas of the field in the NFL and a willingness to dedicate themselves to achieving those dreams in any way possible.

They generally have a higher level of athleticism and football IQ than the Canadians who came before them.

And while their arrival in the NFL has been well-documented with the current wave of Canadians going through the annual NFL Draft, we’re now witnessing their true arrival in the league. They are earning their roles, blossoming before our eyes and making their mark across the league.

Sunday may have set a new bar for Canadiens’ single-day NFL performances. But he will not be the last of his kind.

It’s more like a preview of what’s to come.