With Cam Akers out for the 2021 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams addressed their backfield depth by trading for Sony Michel.
Getting a crash course on head coach Sean McVay’s offense to start the season is certainly no easy task. Regardless, he was expected to play an integral role as the complementary option to running back Darrell Henderson.
Unfortunately, Henderson was sidelined in Week 3 due to a rib injury. This forced Michel to step up as the primary option versus a stout Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.
McVay was able to maintain his balanced approach thanks to Michel’s efforts in the 34-24 win. He shared some high praise for the latter’s performance against a tough Bucs’ defense.
“He did. It was really great, Maria. I thought he had some really tough, hard-earned yards. I mean, that’s an excellent defense. They’ve been the best at stopping the run for the last few years and, really, ever since Coach Bowles got there. It was tough, hard-earned. You know, he had a couple good runs where we were able to churn out the clock. You know, even the drive that resulted in a field goal, I want to say it was 14 plays or something like that. He had a couple critical runs to keep the clock moving. Really, just, you know, keep us in control of that game. And then he had a great 15-yard run on the one play on the one toss play on the first drive, or on that last drive that we kind of had before we ended up taking a knee. So really pleased with Sony (Michel) and he’s only going to just continue to build off of this.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to McVay’s comments regarding the challenge for Michel considering the Bucs have largely picked up where they left off last season as the best defense against the run. Fortunately, he was still able to do his part to keep them on their toes by rushing for 67 yards on 20 carries.
While it was not the most efficient outing, Michel did enough to keep the defense honest and this made way for multiple big plays through the air for quarterback Matthew Stafford. More importantly, he showed that he is capable of taking on a heavy workload when needed.
Even if Henderson resumes his role as the top option, it is safe to say that Michel will continue to get his opportunities to contribute as the season goes on given McVay’s affinity for establishing a 1-2 punch in the backfield.
