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What play is that?

In Cleveland, we call it Metcalf up the middle.

After some research, this doesn’t exactly describe what happened (Also, run up the middle is not a play. It’s a binary type of play and a vague direction that accounts for 80 percent or so of runs)
But what this does say is this, when an offense is bad, it usually feels bad in the same ways, which is interesting in its own right, though not much consolation.

You're over analyzing it,Belichick(at the time) like Harbaugh had no imagination it wasn't complete lack of talent.Just not using what you have effectively.Eric Metcalf was explosive given some room.Swing passes or quick slants out of the backfield,punt & kick off returns he was electric.He was maybe 170lbs dripping wet so Belichick to make some kind of odd point kept sending him up the middle where he was easily knocked down.Just wish he would pull the same crap in N.E. but Brady and him find each other and he finds some common sense and the rest is history.That's not the same guy who coached in Cleveland

So all told, there was run/run/pass twice in the game. Once started with a toss sweep for minus-4 and then ND stuffing a 2nd and 14 run. The other was under center power (not a popular one when it only gets 3)/A called pass where the QB scrambles/An out to the sticks. All told, the first-down run rate was 54 percent.

This is also why I think (names aside) my ideal coaching combo is a defensive minded head coach with an elite OC with autonomy, or in the NFL, an elite QB.  That's why it works in NE, or with Dungy-Manning.  Tomlin-Roethlisberger.  The best DCs bring a mentality to the roster, while the best offensive minds are best used as tacticians.  As long as it is Harbaugh's offense, nothing will change.  As has been said, he's a motivator, not a tactician, but that doesn't stop him from being too involved in the offense.  It has worked with Meyer because he's an elite recruiter, and he's been willing to trust his offense to his OC.  Unless harbaugh gets there, I don't think it works.  I just don't like offensively minded head coaches, unless they can totally step back (which is rare for head coaches from either side of the ball) like Meyer has done.