kosartoslaughter wrote:
I actually think the idea of Metcalf on a draw play vs. bigger OL and DL and LBs was a good idea, but...
1) Metcalf didn't have the massive OL Joe Morris/Dave Meggett had--Bart Oates, et. al. (We had Ralph Tamm, Ed King, T-Bone, Fike)
2) Romeo used the same principle with Wright in '07-up the middle vs. the Pats for big gains despite a loss.
3) Everyone bitches about Vardell, but in hindsight I see what he was trying to do--get a 240-lb. FB to let Metcalf/Mack run behind...like Ottis Anderson/Dave Meggett
The fans bitched about Metcalf up the middle b/c it didn't work, but the concept was sound.
In my memory, the problem was that Metcalf couldn't break a tackle to save his life. Running in traffic, he would get knocked down by arm tackles. Now, in space, he could make bigger guys look silly, but trying to get through a crack in the line was not his game.
Metcalf was just too thin, Even Wright had some body.
Meggett was not the feature back. He was the 3rd down guy. The Giants did have a small back that alternating with Otis A, "Little" Joe Morris.