Sony Michel may not be a starting-caliber running back anymore, but he still knows how to block and that’s a valuable trait in obvious passing situations.
Michel, who the Rams brought back this week, laid one of the best blocks of the 2021 season during his first stint in Los Angeles. Considering it was almost two years ago, it’s easy to forget just how good it was, but we’re here to remind you of it.
During the Rams’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers, Michel flipped a blitzing Ross Cockrell on his back with a late blitz pickup, preventing the DB from getting to Matthew Stafford just as he was releasing the ball.
You can see Michel quickly recognize that Cockrell was rushing off the right side, so he sprinted over and hit him low, which sent him flipping into the air.
Hellava blitz pick up by #25. Looks like he's about to release on a route and sees the slot blitz last second. pic.twitter.com/VBrESdICGn
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 28, 2021
This angle in slow-motion might be even better, showing just how good a block it was.
Sony Michel really flipped a man 😳 @Flyguy2stackz @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/p0FmIRwml2
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 28, 2021
Michel has always been good in pass protection throughout his career. In each of the last four years, Michel finished with a pass-blocking grade between 66.1 and 82.5, according to Pro Football Focus. The only year he was below 66.1 was as a rookie in 2018 when he had a grade of 60.0.
Between Michel and Kyren Williams, the Rams now have two quality pass-blocking running backs on their roster.
