Harvin's Uncertain Future

As organizations, the Vikings, Seahawks and Jets couldn’t be more different. The Seahawks are the crème de la crème of the league, defending champions in the midst of building a dynasty. The Vikings represent perpetual mediocrity. The Jets? Let’s just take a moment to remember the Josh Cribbs wild cat formation.

One thing they have in common? Percy Harvin has suffered serious injuries for all three. Harvin made it 3-for-3 on Sunday, roughing up his ankle late in the Jets’ latest loss. He appears done for the season, meaning he’ll have suited up for only 11 contests, and averaged seven appearances over the past three years. It didn’t always used to be this way. Although Harvin had the reputation of being an injury-prone player his first three years in the league, he ended up appearing in 45-of-48 games.

Then, making a dark-horse run at MVP honors in 2012, Harvin fell down an injury rabbit hole he’s yet to escape. An ankle ailment cost him the final seven games of the Vikings’ surprising Wild Card run, and the die was cast for his departure from Minnesota. Then, before so much as playing a snap for the Seahawks, Harvin underwent hip surgery, costing him all but one game in the 2013 regular season.

In between Harvin’s hip operation and arrival in New York City came an appendectomy and concussion. Which brings us to Sunday. Finally breaking out for the Jets’ Kafka-esque offense, Harvin marred the celebration of his first receiving touchdown in two years by checking out of a game Gang Green would go on to lose in overtime. It continued Harvin’s three-year trend of one step forward, two steps back, and complicated the question of his future in New York. Harvin is due a non-guaranteed $41.5 million over the next four seasons, including $10.5 million in 2015. Is that really something the rebuilding Jets are going to lock themselves into? Even if it is, is that something dynasty-league owners want to deal with?

A former wiz-kid prodigy who has played with Brett Favre and won a Super Bowl, Harvin is still only 26. But his injuries tell the story of a player going in the wrong direction. Maybe Harvin will recapture the form that led both Seattle and New York to take a chance on him. More likely is further downward spiral for a player shaping up as a “what might have been,” both for his employers and fantasy owners.

Five Things That Went According To Plan In Week 14

Brian Hoyer’s continued struggles under center for the Browns. The Browns hitched their wagon to Hoyer’s “leadership.” He drove it into the lake, completing just 45.2 percent of his passes while accounting for zero touchdowns for the third-straight game. The owner of a 1:1 TD:INT ratio on the season, Hoyer boasts a preposterously bad 3:10 mark in six games since the calendar turned to November. Hoyer seems like an alright guy, and has been an underdog case worth rooting for. But he’s not an NFL starting quarterback, and there’s no reason for him to keep receiving the benefit of the doubt. One Browns quarterback has scored a touchdown in the past three weeks. His name is Johnny Manziel, and he should be under center for Week 15. If not, the Browns will be 7-7, and in grave danger of their seventh-consecutive losing season.

Mark Sanchez’s performance against the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom. Perhaps you expected Sanchez to complete more than 10 passes, but he was never going to get the better of Richard Sherman and company. The fact that he escaped with two touchdowns is something of a fantasy-quarterfinal miracle. Sanchez has been quite predictable as the Eagles’ starter. He’s performed well in good spots, and struggled in tough ones. In Week 15 he has a good one in a Cowboys team the Eagles shredded on Thanksgiving. Sanchez’s floor against Big D will be two scores. He’ll have the ceiling for much more.

Colt McCoy bottoming out against the Rams. McCoy under center was always bound to be an embarrassing disaster, and collapsing against the Rams represented a predictable nadir. McCoy completed 20-of-32 passes for 199 scoreless yards and two interceptions, taking six sacks before departing with a strained neck. Regardless of his health, McCoy will likely be returned to the pine for Week 15. That means we’ll be treated to another episode of “As The RGIII Turns” for a Redskins team that’s proven as hopeless as ever in 2014.

Bishop Sankey disappointing in a good spot. Sankey has yet to meet a good matchup he couldn’t bungle, and Sunday was no exception. Facing one of the league’s worst run defenses, Sankey could muster just 25 yards on nine carries, and gave the Titans no reason to keep feeding him the ball. This, on an afternoon where Shonn Greene was a healthy scratch. The first back off the board in May’s draft is now averaging 3.80 yards per carry through his first 131 NFL totes. Sankey won’t be on the RB3 radar for a tough Week 15 matchup with the Jets.

Mike Wallace’s lack of chemistry with Ryan Tannehill. Facing one of the league’s worst secondaries in the Ravens, Wallace drew only four targets, turning them into three catches for 39 scoreless yards. His missed connection was a — wait for it — Tannehill overthrow in the end zone, though Wallace also appeared to pull up early on the route. No longer producing like a high-floor WR2, Wallace will barely be on the WR3 radar against Darrelle Revis’ Patriots in Week 15.

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Five Things That Didn’t Go According To Plan In Week 14

Peyton Manning and the Broncos winning fantasy quarterfinal matchups. Manning entered Week 14 averaging three touchdowns per game. He exits it without a score for the first time in 51 starts. Manning generated only three first downs through the air, and posted his lowest QB rating (56.9) in six years. This, after Manning posted his lowest completion percentage (50.0) in five years in Week 13. Manning will head into Denver’s Week 15 trip to San Diego averaging just 203 yards over his past three starts. Just when you think something is automatic, fantasy football goes and humbles you again.

The Cardinals’ backfield in the absence of Andre Ellington. It was supposed to be a committee of Stepfan Taylor and Marion Grice leading the way against the Chiefs. Instead, it was practice-squad signee Kerwynn Williams out-touching Taylor, Grice and FB Robert Hughes 19-12, and gaining 100 yards (5.3 YPC). It was Williams who drained the clock on Andy Reid’s squad, getting the ball on seven of Arizona’s final nine plays. In the words of coach Bruce Arians, Williams got the call because he was the only Cardinals back to make his teammates go “wow” on the practice field over the past three weeks. This is still an unpredictable situation, but Williams should get the first crack at establishing a hot hand in Thursday’s game against the Rams. He needs to be owned in 12-14 team leagues.

The Saints’ offense in a home loss to the Panthers. This was when the Saints were finally supposed to get rolling. They decided they’d rather bottom out, generating just 310 yards of offense as the Panthers rolled up 41 points. Drew Brees could get nothing going downfield, and even his patented underneath connections were nowhere to be found. Kenny Stills was largely erased by Josh Norman, while Pierre Thomas and Jimmy Graham combined for a meager 7/39 as pass catchers. It was a brutal, ugly day, but one fantasy owners must shake off. Brees will again be a must start for Week 15 as the Saints make the trek to Chicago to take on one of the few defenses worse than theirs.

Torrey Smith’s return from a minor knee injury. Smith was listed as “probable” on the injury report, but was essentially inactive against the Dolphins after his knee swelled up in pre-game warmups. Smith played just 15 snaps, drawing zero targets in the Ravens’ 28-13 victory. It was a killer day for anyone who couldn’t get Smith out of their lineup, but one that should be forgotten if Smith trends in the right direction for Week 15. That’s because he’ll be doing battle with the Jaguars’ burnable secondary for the fantasy semifinals. Just as players must have short memories, so must fantasy owners. That, of course, is provided Smith actually heals up. We should have a good idea of his progress by Friday.

Colin Kaepernick getting on track in a good spot against the Raiders. Not only did Kaep not revive his disintegrating season, he got soundly outplayed by rookie Derek Carr, a quarterback who entered Week 14 having posted a YPA of 5.06 or worse in five-straight games. For the second-straight week, Kaep threw multiple interceptions, something he had previously never done as a starter. Regressing as a passer and getting little help from San Francisco’s running game, Kaepernick can no longer even be relied on in good matchups. With Jim Harbaugh appearing done in San Francisco, Kaepernick will be a fascinating case this offseason.

Questions

1. Has anyone ever sat down and really explained fourth downs to NFL coaches?

2. Will YOU take the pledge to stop forgetting how bad the Saints are?

3. Will Jim Harbaugh use Uber to cross the bay?

Early Waiver Look (Players owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)

QB: Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, Jake Locker

RB: Latavius Murray, Jonathan Stewart, Kerwynn Williams

WR: Charles Johnson, Donte Moncrief, Marquess Wilson, Jarvis Landry, Stedman Bailey

TE: Mychal Rivera, Dion Sims

Stats of the Week

By scoring his 10th touchdown on Sunday, Rob Gronkowski became the first tight end in league history to post four seasons of 10 scores or more. As our own Evan Silva pointed out on Twitter, Gronk is only 25 years old.

Need it in writing why you should lay off Alfred Morris if Robert Griffin III isn’t back under center for Week 15? Silva lays it out again. Morris’ numbers across 33 games started by RGIII: 4.89 YPC, 22 touchdowns. In 12 games started by Kirk Cousins/Colt McCoy: 3.60 YPC, five scores.

32. That’s how many more snaps Donte Moncrief played than Hakeem Nicks against the Browns. He turned them into just three catches for 33 yards, but weekly WR3 upside is officially there. Moncrief will be an intriguing play against the Texans’ sloppy pass defense in Week 15.

Charles Johnson has just nine fewer catches and seven fewer yards than Cordarrelle Patterson on 288 fewer snaps.

Le'Veon Bell officially joined Walter Payton as just the second player in league history to surpass 200 yards from scrimmage in three-straight games. He could easily make it four straight against the Falcons’ pathetic defense in Week 15. Bell’s 1,924 total yards are already 80th all time. He’ll finish with 2,368 if he keeps up at his current pace, which would be good for fifth all time.

Julius Thomas was “active,” but played zero snaps. Frustrating, but a sign that he’ll be ready to rock against the Chargers in Week 15.

After outscoring their opponents a combined 76-0 the past two weeks, the Rams’ point differential is now … zero. That’s Jeff Fisher in a nutshell.

Awards Section

Week 14 Fantasy All-Pro Team: QB Cam Newton, RB Le'Veon Bell, RB DeMarco Murray, WR A.J. Green, WR T.Y. Hilton, WR Calvin Johnson, TE Greg Olsen

The Only The Bills Award: Down 24-10 with 5:33 remaining, the Bills punted on 4th-and-2 from their own 16. The Bills haven’t made the playoffs since 1999.

The This Is Your Life Award: The Redskins watching as the Rams sent out the six players they acquired either directly or indirectly via the Robert Griffin III trade for the coin toss.

The This Is Your Life Award, Volume II: This Redskins fan.

The Even When The Raiders Win, They Lose Award: The Raiders, who are now behind the Bucs for the rights to the No. 1 overall pick in next spring’s draft.