Darrell Bevell on Percy Harvin: ‘You’ve seen the special plays that he can make’
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin (11) warms up before the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game against the New Orleans Saints at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
One of the hot topics in Super Bowl breakdown discussions is naming X-Factors, and one commonly named X-Factor is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin, who will be suiting up in his third game all season. We’ve heard him say a trillion times that he is feeling great and excited to play, and it’s obvious the Seahawks are going to use their high-priced playmaker as much as possible. I find it ridiculous that some people think the Seahawks will have difficulty utilizing Harvin, because they’ve had several months to draw up plays for him, with two specific weeks set aside for adding new wrinkles to use him against the Denver Broncos. Plus, the Seahawks have one of the best coaching staffs in the league, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is one of the most creative in the business.
Bevell also knows Harvin extremely well from their days together with the Minnesota Vikings, and there’s nobody in the league who knows how to use Harvin better than him. Even though he gets criticized by some fans, I think most people realize that Bevell is a very good offensive coordinator, and there’s a reason why he was mentioned as a potential head coaching hire.
The Broncos will have to account for Harvin significantly every time the playmaking wideout is on the field, because he has the speed and agility to take it to the house on any given play. I think we’re going to see him lined up frequently in the slot and on the outside, and his ability to generate yards after the catch and missed tackles will make him deadly on screens.
It sounds like Bevell has some tricks up his sleeve, too, quote from the Seattle Times’s Bob Condotta,“You’ve seen the special plays that he can make, just the few that he’s had. We’re really excited about having him.’’
Obvious statement from Bevell, but I’m also excited to see what Harvin can do and what kinds of plays the Seahawks have designed for him against a Broncos defense that could find it difficult to contain a guy with his explosiveness.