Pete Carroll said today in his afternoon presser that Percy Harvin will practice this week with the intent to play in Seattle's first playoff game, set for January 11th against the Niners, Packers, or Saints. This good news for the Seahawks goes against what the rumors and reports had indicated (and Carroll had somewhat implied recently), specifically that Harvin would be headed to the Injured Reserve this week.

Said Carroll: "Percy's going to practice with us when we get back with the intention of playing in this next game. We'll see what happens. That's the intention. We're going to see how he goes. He's come to the point where we can go to that and we'll keep our fingers crossed for him. He wants to contribute and be a part of this team and he's going to do everything he can to do that."

As for the timing, Carroll said that there were no secret plans at play, and allayed the idea there was a conscious intent to troll other teams and the media... but I wouldn't really put it past him.

I'm a believer that Carroll carefully and methodically chooses his specific language with every press conference and interview - his public-persona has been sharpened by decades in major media markets like New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, where one slight mistake in what you say or allude to can turn into a major story.

The fact that Harvin was apparently rehabbing and improving this whole time just makes it seem like Carroll was playing with our feelings (and with potential opponents' minds). Which is hilarious.

So, despite the manner in which Carroll had spoken in regard to Harvin these past two weeks - which really led everyone to believe that things had not improved at all with the mercurial receiver's surgically repaired hip - it's looking like Harvin has gotten to the point where he can give it a go. Keep your fingers crossed for no setbacks, and let's hope things go well at practice this week and that he'll be in a position to contribute come January 11th.

12's see u in 2 weeks ... It's go time once again — Percy Harvin (@Percy_Harvin) December 31, 2013

And to all the haters who tried to kick when I was down ... Can't express how much fuel u added to my fire .... — Percy Harvin (@Percy_Harvin) December 31, 2013

As we saw in limited action against the Vikings, the mere presence of Harvin on the field has a way of affecting opposing defenses, and he can be a major factor in the return game.