What to Expect from Percy Harvin and the Jets Offense in Week 14

Spectators at MetLife Stadium got a glimpse of old-school smashmouth football from the New York Jets offense—which is the only type of offense that will keep Gang Green competitive.

Honestly, what can you expect from a team that must keep its feeble pass defense off the field while managing to limit a struggling, turnover-prone quarterback? About 30-plus rushing attempts—just hoping to survive three-and-a-half quarters—and then finally pulling a rabbit out the hat in the final drive. This was the Jets’ script Monday night.

Unfortunately, Geno Smith couldn’t perform a magic trick—turning insignificant throws into critical completions at the end of the game. He didn’t have any rhythm and was eventually picked off after throwing into triple coverage to drop New York’s record to 2-10.

In Week 14, the Jets will match up against the Minnesota Vikings' 24th-ranked rush defense, which gives up 123.8 yards per game. Percy Harvin will be pumped to play against the team that drafted him, but he’s not likely to see much action.

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According to NFL.com writer Kevin Patra, the game plan against the Miami Dolphins wasn’t about what Smith couldn’t do; it was about winning the game. Here’s an excerpt from Patra’s report:

"It had zero to do with us not having faith in our quarterback," Ryan said. "It had everything to do with us trying to win the game."

Ryan is 100 percent correct in his statement. The Jets have a talented stable of running backs. They should lean on a powerful ground attack, but he completely took his quarterback out of the contest. What does this mean for the receivers?

A decision has to be made on whether to keep Harvin beyond this season or release him before fully committing to the remainder of his contract. However, Ryan isn’t focused on figuring out which players are valuable to the offense moving forward. His one and only focus is to win games now—with John Idzik’s handpicked prospect under center.

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It’s clear Michael Vick gives Gang Green the best chance to win games, but Ryan’s hands are tied. He’s forced to put together the best plan of attack with Smith, who at this point knows he’s operating a remedial offense.

The lack of throwing attempts hinders Harvin’s evaluation. He’s a dynamic receiver who could help the next Jets quarterback flourish—but will he want to stay after being totally ignored within this offense?

According to NJ.com reporter Darryl Slater, Harvin wanted to prove that he’s a complete receiver in New York:

"

It’s a challenge for me, just because I haven’t done it in a while, or people think I haven’t done it before,” he said. “I’m just looking to go out there and be a complete player. I always had the reverses and the fly sweeps and all those things. I feel I can do that at any given time. My next step is to start playing receiver and doing those types of things.

"

To Harvin’s dismay, he’ll be relegated to the same type of player he wanted to evolve from in this oversimplified offense. Unless the Jets organization can convince him things will be different next season, keeping a discontented Harvin in an outspoken Jets locker room is purely toxic.

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Just like most players, it’s predictable Harvin wants to showcase his best performance against a former team. Nonetheless, Ryan just wants to win. To do so, he'll limit the probability of Smith losing the game and lean very heavily on the rushing attack.

In Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, Harvin ran the ball six times and only caught one pass. Ryan’s game plan is suitable for the talent he’s working with on the field but a detriment to the offense as a whole. Ironically, Harvin’s best years as a wide receiver were with the Minnesota Vikings.

Year	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
2009	60	790	6
2010	71	868	5
2011	87	967	6
2012	62	677	3

The insufficient use of the totality of Harvin’s skills would only be acceptable if the Jets were winning games. Even with the rushing attacking being as successful as it was on Monday night, accumulating 277 yards, Smith doesn’t have the ability to lead a game-winning drive without building offensive rhythm.

He attempted eight passes in 58 minutes of play before an unsuccessful final two-minute drive resulting in an interception.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the second-best rushing attack in the league—averaging 148.2 yards per game—should be the focal point of the offense. However, it’s clear Smith isn’t the best quarterback to rely on for critical pass completions or to overcome in-game deficits.

Expect another full dose of Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson next week against the Vikings. Harvin will be the Jets’ third-best running back, and the offense as whole will continue to struggle to integrate all its parts.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by ESPN.com.

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