If the Jets 2014 season could be summed up in one image (because there’s too many Geno Smith interceptions to choose from), it’s this.
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On Sunday, newly-acquired wide receiver and return man Percy Harvin received a third quarter kickoff from the Buffalo Bills. He then proceeded to leave the end zone and froze up as if he had just remembered that he’d forgotten to pay his cable bill. It was strange to say the least.
And as easy as it would be to just say “lol Jets” and move on to some other NFL game with actual stakes, there is an explanation for the above play that isn’t just “Percy Harvin put on a Jets uniform and suddenly lost every single one of his football skills.”
The Jets were looking for “a spark” in the second half so they lined up Harvin on one side of the end zone and had T.J. Graham lie down on his stomach on the other side (maybe the Jets were convinced that their green jerseys would camouflage well with the end zone or something). The idea was to have Harvin field the return and throw the ball laterally to Graham who would then sprint to the end zone and lift the spirits of Jets fans everywhere.
Unfortunately, the Bills had the play covered so Harvin (wisely!) went down and the play ended up only adding to the heap of sadness that is the 2014 New York Jets. After the game, Rex Ryan took responsibility for the failed trick play:
“That was on me. I was just trying to give us a spark. With the way Percy was returning the ball, I thought everyone would attack him and not think about a throwback. I think they did an outstanding job of playing it. Percy was heads-up enough to not throw it over there.”
The Jets are performance art.
Image courtesy of Getty Images
