Pete Carroll says WR Percy Harvin (hip) will be listed as Doubtful heading into Monday's game against the Saints. #NOvsSEA #MNF
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 30, 2013
Just when you thought it was safe to get excited.
Percy Harvin teased Seahawks fans with his brilliance against Minnesota. A one handed grab. A great kick return.
We probably won’t see any of that on Monday night against the Saints.
Harvin is listed as doubtful, having suffered soreness in his recovering hip following the Vikings game. Nearly two weeks of rest hasn’t put him in a position to practise.
That has to be a concern.
Even with limited snaps against Minnesota, he’s hurting. If he feels close to 100% over the next 48 hours, can you feel comfortable putting him on the field? And what would his workload be?
They might as well turn doubtful to ‘out’.
And it’s getting to the point where it might just not be worth the risk over the next few weeks. Instead of going into every game wondering if he’s going to be ready — is it time to face facts?
Is it time to shut him down?
That doesn’t have to be IR for the rest of the season. Maybe it just means saving him for the playoffs? That extra few weeks can be spent on rehab and practise. It could make a world of difference.
You’re talking about five weeks of the regular season plus a possible first round playoff bye. Six total weeks to prepare and get ready.
Right now it’s pretty clear he isn’t ready. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not spend every week wondering if Harvin is going to make it. As much as everyone wants to see him out there, I also want to see him out there next year and the year after. This isn’t a one year deal.
I also appreciate keeping teams in suspense will make it tough for opponents to prepare.
But aren’t the Seahawks good enough to win without those kind of shenanigans?
(I love using the word shenanigans in a piece)
While it’s disappointing to get almost no immediate return out of a first round pick plus change, the Seahawks are 10-1 without Harvin. This isn’t the difference between success and failure.
There’s no doubt Carroll and co will do the right thing here. I just feel like it’s something we need to embrace.
We might not see Percy Harvin again this year.
It is what it is.
Ugggg..
Carroll said the hip was structurally fine, but sore. That relieves me quite a bit. It would be a bummer NOT to have him on Monday Night, but it’s looking like that is the reality.
Hey Farva what’s the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
You mean Shenanigans?
Lando Calrissian quote here.
Simply Brilliant. There are so many different ones that work, depending on your point of view:
1. If you’re speaking as if you’re Pete Carroll – “They told me they fixed it! I trusted them to fix it! It’s not my fault!
2. If you’re playing the role of disgruntled fan who used Harvin’s durability issues as a reason not to like the trade in the first place – “This deal is getting worse all the time.”
3. If you’re a glass half full kinda guy who thinks Percy will be shutdown until the playoffs – “Yes, he’s alive, and in perfect hibernation.”
4. If you’re the ‘Whiners fan rubbing this in our faces after the news of Crabtree’s return – “Having trouble with your droid?”
Again… Brilliant sir.
It is concerning that he plays and two weeks later he hip still is “flared up.” I think we’ll be okay without him, but it sure would have been nice to have him for these last games. Guess we’ll see how it goes.
Since I am of the opinion that we are going to win this game with or without Percy, the thing that most bums me out about this news is simply how much I was looking forward to watching Harvin play. He really is one of the most entertaining players in the NFL once the ball is in his hands.
Hi Rob,
Jumping off of Percy for a minute and watching the A&M/Missouri game – do you have an opinion on L’Damian Washington 6’4″ Missouri WR? Looked pretty fast, but haven’t seen much of him. Thanks!
And pretty good hands – made a nice TD catch in the corner.
I am interested in Missouri’s DE Michael Sam. I wonder if he could play SAM. Is he too small for LEO?
There’s a lot of tape on Sam… A player we’ll definitely get into down the line.
I like Williams too. Also Some good secondary play for Missouri.
5th year senior, been around for a while. Good speed. Fairly limited ceiling but will make a camp. Later round guy with a shot to make it. Maybe a New Orleans type of receiver.
Thanks Rob – can I ask a follow up? Why not a Seattle receiver? Especially if he’s a low round pick?
I wouldn’t say necessarily not a Seahawks style receiver, I just got a Saints vibe. Speedy, decent height but not a huge frame. The kind they love to develop over time.
I believe the Seahawks are 9-1 without him. He did play and contribute to the win against Minnesota.
It was still a pretty limited impact really.
He’ll continue to see how things respond day by day. When he’s ready, he’ll play. And when he plays, he’ll do special things. No need to choose an arbitrary “shut down” duration, it will be based on the performance of his surgically repaired hip.
Seahawks are in the driver’s seat win or lose. Even if the Saints pulled off an unlikely upset, they are even less likely to win out. ‘Hawks could recover but won’t need to; Saints are a great home team but have played less effectively on the road. The cold temperature will complicate their pass heavy offense. A strong does of Lynch will control the clock and make this another W for the home team.
What troubles me about Harvin’s injury is that I bet that nearly every Seahawks starter could say that he is “sore” at this point in the season. At what point does a player’s soreness rise to being serious enough to cause him not to play? Ultimately, it comes down to the player — how badly does he want to take the field? At one extreme, you have guys like RGIII who probably could have used some more time to recuperate; at the other extreme, you have guys who seem to be “injured” almost perpetually, and are always looking for more time to mend. Where does Harvin fit on this continuum? Only he knows …
On a more optimistic note, in the Minnesota game, PC said that he didn’t intend to use Harvin to return kicks, but Harvin apparently talked him into it when Kearse went down. So, maybe Harvin really wants to play but PC is holding him back…
Everything that I see while watching Harvin play is that he likes to play, and play hard. Perhaps to the detriment of his health. Pete and John like players who like to play. They like Percy.
I don’t think this is a question of “want to”.
So Percy Harvin should be listed as “out” because:
A. It’ll cause less stress for the fan base
B. Not doing so somehow constitutes “shenanigans”
I’ll gladly absorb the stress of seeing Harvin on the injury report just like we do with Lynch every week.
I’m more than happy to put up with whatever “shenanigans” PC comes up with to give us some kind of competitive advantage, as long as it’s legal. Not doing so is ridiculous. If you have a player on the active roster his name should at least contribute if his body can’t.
You forgot to add:
C. Because giving him another 5-6 weeks rest could be crucial going into the playoffs.
Which, essentially, is the biggest point in the article. Not the use of the word “shenanigans” or the suggestion it doesn’t benefit anyone to have a weekly guessing game. As also suggested in this piece on PFT:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/02/report-percy-harvin-had-cortisone-injection-in-hip-over-the-weekend/
“At 10-1, the Seahawks can obviously handle things without Harvin in the lineup but it would make life easier to know what you’re getting rather than engage in weekly guessing games.”
I say hold him out till the playoffs and see where that goes. One thing I do think about is that maybe Seattle is cursed when they trade draft picks for a veteran receivers. It seems to me that what we get is good player that becomes an injury problem, al la Deon Branch comes to mind.
Based on what I’ve read, that the soreness being experienced is in line with the trauma experienced after surgery, I would say be cautious, but I don’t know that I’d hold him out completely. Indications are that this is a normal byproduct of the operation Harvin underwent. The key question is, by playing does it cause further damage or increase the likelihood of injury. If the answer is no to both of those questions, then I believe you should look implement him, albeit gradually, in the regular season. Take it week by week. If it’s hurting, hold him out, but if he feels he can go, then get him in there for some plays. The Viking results notwithstanding, expecting you’re going to be able toss Harvin into the fire come the first playoff game, and suddenly get great production, is presumptuous to say the least.