Harvin, Seahawks show off second gear in thumping

SEATTLE – Mercy!

And I’m not just referencing the impact of a completely healthy Percy Harvin being fully integrated into Seattle’s offense.

Actually, No Mercy may be a better way to describe Thursday night’s 36-16 thumping of visiting Green Bay. The punishment inflicted upon the Packers in the NFL’s 2014 regular-season opener smacked of the beat-down given to Denver by Seattle in Super Bowl 48.

This contest wasn’t as lopsided and, unlike the Broncos, the Packers were at least still within striking distance in the fourth quarter. But this was yet another physically dominant Seahawks performance with running back Marshawn Lynch rumbling through Green Bay’s defense for 110 yards and two touchdowns as well as a nasty defense registering two key second-half sacks of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that busted the game open.

Another common denominator in these muggings of the Packers and Broncos: Harvin.

The Seahawks played almost the entire 2013 season without him and still finished with the NFC’s best record at 13-3. They were still smothering on defense. They still enjoyed arguably the league’s best home-field advantage. But without Harvin, Seattle’s offense sorely lacked a big-play threat.

Now?

“I think this is what everybody envisioned,” Harvin said after producing 160 all-purpose yards.

That vision features Harvin being used as both a rusher and receiver along with his kickoff-return duties. He led the Seahawks with seven catches for 59 yards, including a critical 10-yard gain on a third-and-10 late in the third quarter. Harvin snatched a short pass from quarterback Russell Wilson and powered his way through a Morgan Burnett tackle for a first down, allowing Seattle to continue a drive that ended in a Lynch touchdown run and extended the lead to 29-10.

“He’s so quick in his burst and how explosive he is running people over,” Seahawks tight end Zach Miller said. “He’s a tough guy to bring down. He can make you miss and he can run you over.”

Harvin’s four rushes did more than generate a stellar 41 yards. His “jet sweeps” stretched the field and helped keep Green Bay guessing about which way it would get challenged next. The primary means of attack were Lynch carries and play-action by Wilson, whose versatility as a pass-run threat gave the Packers even more headaches. Sloppy tackling, mental errors and key penalties added to Green Bay’s woes and prompted Packers defensive tackle Mike Neal to say his unit must “go back to the drawing board.”

“We were able to get the edge and add another dynamic off that handing the ball to Marshawn,” Harvin said. “We’re just trying to add a lot of dual threats to a lot of our plays and let the defense pick their poison.”

The Seahawks expected Harvin to prove toxic for opposing defenses last season when acquiring him from Minnesota for a first-round draft pick and signing him to a six-year, $67 million contract extension. But a hip problem required surgery and led to the oft-injured Harvin playing in just two games before Super Bowl 48.

Although he accounted for 137 total yards in that contest – including an 87-yard kickoff return on the first play of the second half that busted the game open – Harvin acknowledged there is a big difference in his game after having shaken off the remaining rust by staying healthy throughout the preseason.

Harvin told me he would often have to skip practices and meetings for rehabilitation sessions last season. Rather than learn the offensive play signs during the week, Harvin would get tutored by Wilson on the sideline during games.

Harvin says he is “all in sync” once more.

“I’m back to doing what I love to do,” the sixth-year NFL veteran said. “I’m practicing. I’m grinding. Every day I’m doing that, I know my results are going to be pretty good.”

That means the 2014 Seahawks could be great.

“He was fantastic,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Harvin. “He’s such a good football player. We had a ton of different ways to show how we’re gitting him together in the offense. There’s a bunch of other stuff that we’ll do. He’s such an explosive athlete and so tough.

“What a terrific guy to add to this team. It’s what we’ve all been hoping for … We’re just getting started.”

Mercy.