Seattle's master plan for Percy Harvin didn't pay off in last Sunday's ugly loss at home to the Cowboys. Six touches netted minus-1 yard for the Seahawks wideout as Dallas swarmed Harvin at every chance.
It continued a disturbing trend for the pass-catcher, who's seen half of his 22 grabs come behind the line of scrimmage this season. As The Seattle Times points out, Harvin's six yards per haul marks the lowest average of any NFL wideout with at least five catches.
"He's too fast not to use deep,"Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told The Times ahead of Sunday's tilt with the Rams.
That was proven against the Redskins as Harvin torched Washington for a 41-yard score that saw him burn a safety in the process. The play was called back by a penalty, but it was another reminder of what he's capable of downfield in this otherwise run-heavy offense.
"We've talked more about what we need to do in order to do some of those things," offensive line coach Tom Cable told the newspaper. "The opportunities just haven't come."
STATS Inc. noted that of Harvin's 434 career targets, just 36 have found him more than 21 yards downfield. None of those have come this season for a Seahawks team still figuring out how to unleash their X-factor.
Beyond his touches, Harvin's value comes in how teams must account for him on every snap. He's effectively drawn defenders away from the ball on a swath of fake handoffs and false-front jet sweeps that saw Russell Wilson go somewhere else through the air.
He's a juicy decoy, but Seattle must find ways to set him free with the ball, the way they did against Washington, when he had three touchdowns wiped out by flags and two of them coming on the same drive.
Those scores didn't count against the 'Skins, but it was proof of how explosive Harvin can be for the defending champs if they can shake him free on a weekly basis -- starting with Sunday at St. Louis.
UPDATE:Never mind.
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