The New York Giants have always been running back by committee ever since Tiki Barber retired after the 2006 season. The trio of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw was the unit in 2007-2008, while the triad of Ahmad Bradshaw, David Wilson and Andre Brown was used in the 2012 season.
When the team doesn’t have more than one capable back, they usually struggle (2013). This year, Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa and Andre Williams is the running back group the G-Men lean on.
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With that being said, it’s time for Tom Coughlin to stop running his second-year pro out of Boston College.
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In his rookie season, Williams’ strict yardage is incredibly misleading. Despite leading the Giants with 721 rushing yards, he also finished with an abysmal 3.3 yards per carry. Williams displayed a hard, tough running style, but he also displayed little-to-no vision.
Here’s what Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media said about Williams’ rookie campaign.
“In the four games that Jennings sat out, Williams never ran for more than 59 yards,” Powell said. “Williams also displayed poor vision in finding those holes and cutback lanes. At 5-11, 230 pounds, Williams is a bruising north-south runner with some giddy-up once he gets to the second level, but he had trouble grabbing the patience aspect of being an every-down back.”
At the time, I chalked up some of his shortcomings to a poor offensive line, but that’s no longer an excuse. Weston Richburg has developed into an elite center, Justin Pugh has proven to be very good interior lineman and Geoff Schwartz is giving the Giants a nice, reliable, veteran presence.
Nov 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New York Giants running back Andre Williams (44) is tackled by New Orleans Saints inside linebacker Ramon Humber (53) during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately for Williams, it’s the same story this year. Zero vision, zero penetration and zero production. Williams has carried the ball 61 times for a measly 177 — that’s good for a 2.9 average — and one touchdown. To put that in perspective, Aaron Rodgers and Blake Bortles have more rushing yards than Williams.
But for some reason, Coughlin insists on giving Williams ample amounts of carries.
The offensive line can no longer be blamed for his poor play, either. Rashad Jennings, the closest thing the Giants have to a bell-cow back, has had more than three games with more than four yards per attempt. Jennings has also rushed for 364 yards for an average of 3.9.
The next best runner on the team is Orleans Darkwa, and he’s been somewhat of a revelation for the Giants. Darkwa has averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
Basically, running Williams is seldom going to do anything for the offense. He still lacks the vision that separates the average backs from the good backs. His decisiveness and aggressiveness are good attributes to have, but his lack of elusiveness and vision will continue to hinder the Giants.
Letting Williams have an equal number of carries as his teammates doesn’t just hurt his stats; it’s also taking the ball out of the hands of the team’s best runners. It doesn’t make much sense. He’s also a virtual non-threat in the passing game, as he’s a below-average receiver and blocker. In two-minute drills, don’t expect to see 44 on the field. When Williams is inserted into the game, the opposing defense knows it’s a good chance the Giants are running the ball.
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He’s not an awful back, mind you. He’s just not the type of back that is going to add a lot of spark during the Giants’ playoff push.
I don’t want to go as far as to say Williams is the Markus Kuhn of the offense, but he has done little to distinguish himself from the rest of the backfield. Unless the Giants are inside the two-yard line, the team should begin to limit how frequently they use Williams.