Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin the perfect combo

It seems a little bit weird to pair a wide receiver and running back together, but that’s exactly what’s happening in the Seattle Seahawks offense with Percy Harvin fully healthy after suffering several hip flare-ups last season and being a non-factor until a jump-out-of-your-seat kick-off return touchdown in the Super Bowl. Harvin was purely magnificent on Thursday night, catching all seven passes thrown at him for 59 yards, with 38 of them coming after the catch. He made short work of a soft, overwhelmed Green Bay Packers defense, and safety Morgan Burnett sure had no answer for his explosiveness.

While Harvin and Marshawn Lynch play two different positions and have totally different playing styles, it’s the latter that makes them an ideal combination. What’s become clear to me is that the best offenses in this league are all about putting the ball into the hands of a team’s best players in space, and the Seahawks do four things that are similar to what Chip Kelly does on the Philadelphia Eagles: they emphasize the running game, they try to get the ball to explosive players in space and let them do the work, they ask their quarterbacks to make smart decisions and have QBs who can do that, and they also challenge defenses downfield. The Seahawks are masters at using the run to set up the downfield pass, but they can now use Harvin’s YAC ability to keep defenses honest against the run.

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Think about it. Harvin incites fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators, because he has the agility and open-field speed (once he jukes his way into open space) to turn a five-yard dump-off into an eighty-yard celebration. It’s that kind of natural ability that sets him apart, and it’s that kind of ability that makes him a better fit for the Seahawks. I have nothing but admiration for Golden Tate and believe he could become a star for the Detroit Lions, but the Seahawks offense didn’t need an inside-outside-and-all-around threat as much as they needed someone with Harvin’s special abilities. They didn’t need a traditional wide receiver who needs targets in a high volume offense; they needed a guy who doesn’t require as many touches but commands more attention.

Harvin’s biggest assets are clearly his speed, explosiveness, and “shakes”, but the fear factor that derives from those three skills is such a prominent force that defenses can oversell on that. But against the Seahawks, you can’t afford to key in too much on one person, because the others will beat you. Oh, you want to stop Harvin? Well, here’s a deep pass to Jermaine Kearse. Oh, you want to stop Marshawn Lynch? Well, have fun stopping Russell Wilson. So now you are locking down the passing game? We’ll let Marshawn Lynch roll all over you for 110 yards, two touchdowns, and more missed tackles than your defensive coordinator (or your beat-up linebackers) would care to count (especially not the bruises).

Lynch is the Seahawks weapon of choice, and that hasn’t changed one bit. If you can’t prove that you know how to stifle their rushing attack, they will shove Lynch down your poor throats until you suffocate, vomit, or just give up. The Packers front seven was battered all day by a torrential downpour of “Skittles”, and that sure as heck beats fire and brimstone any day of the week (well, from the Seahawks perspective at least). Buoyed by the home fans, Lynch was unstoppable, and the Pro Football Focus tabulated the Packers defense with an embarrassing 16 missed tackles- nearly half of those were directly caused by Lynch, who is surely fresh after an extended summer break that was disguised as a holdout (just kidding, of course).

I know fans of other NFC West fans won’t agree with me, but I think most neutral observers, such as myself, want nothing more than to see Percy Harvin succeed and stay healthy, because he’s one of those truly exciting players that will make you jump out of your seat once every game (again, provided he’s healthy). This is a guy who can run on jet sweeps, master bubble screens, and stretch the field vertically if you can’t keep up with him. Underrated offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is using his former Viking perfectly with the Seahawks, and, if he keeps it up, the investment will pay off.

The stats are impressive on the surface, but what’s more impressive is how much we’re talking about him. He deserves it, too, because it goes back to the fear he can instill; his speed is just as imposing as Lynch’s strength. That strength/speed, can’t-beat-them-both concept that both bring to the table when they’re on the field at the same time is a scary proposition for defenses, and the fact that Wilson is the backbone of the offense makes me wonder if the Seahawks offense has become far too overshadowed by the elite defense, because this is a great unit in its own right.