The statement that the NFL is a "copycat league" has entered the realm of the cliché, but it's actually rooted in some fact. When the Miami Dolphins debuted the Wildcat offense it took the league by storm, as did the read-option after Robert Griffin III engineered one of the greatest quarterback seasons ever as a rookie.
Before him, Cam Newton masked his very raw passing ability by also utilizing the read option.
Since then teams have figured out ways to contain both of those college-spawned schemes, and while they remain effective at times, offenses based on those concepts are generally considered unwise.
On Thursday night, the Seattle Seahawks opened the 2014 season by defeating the Green Bay Packers 36-16, and while running back Marshawn Lynch piled up the best statistics, the star of the night was wide receiver Percy Harvin.
The Seahawks traded for Harvin last year, but he was only able to play in one game during the regular season thanks to a number of injuries. While he remains injury-prone, he's also one of the fastest and most elusive players in the league. That was on display against Green Bay.
Watch all of Harvin's Week 1 highlights here
He led Seattle in targets--Russell Wilson fired the ball his way seven times, and he caught them all for 59 yards. Even more impressively, Harvin had four carries for 41 yards. These carries came after he was set in motion from the slot usually with Wilson in the shotgun. These "jet sweeps" are familiar to many who play Madden video games, and created wide open running lanes for Lynch to gain a full head of steam.
Anytime Harvin was set in motion the Packers clearly revealed their game plan was to not allow him to beat them with big plays, leaving Lynch to rev up his engine and batter them in the second level.
Do not be surprised to see more teams working these jet sweeps into their playbooks, as the element of confusion will never not be a priority for offensive coordinators. Few teams have a receiver as potent as Harvin, who are capable of essentially serving as running backs, but shifty, fast pass catchers aren't the rarest breed these days.
The jet-sweep diversions may even be a better "gimmick" than the Wildcat or the read-option, since they aren't new to the NFL. The Seahawks simply took a concept that is in most playbooks, and highlighted it with a weapon in Harvin that's perfectly designed.
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